Thursday, December 31, 2020

Feast of the Holy Name- January 1

This was first published in Holy Trinity's Sunday Bulletin, 2nd Sunday of Christmas, 2017

Philippians 2:9-11    Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 The Feast of the Holy Name is commemorated on January 1 (New Years Day), the eighth day after the birth of Christ, when Jesus is given His name and circumcised.   

Luke 2:21“And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel [Luke 1:31] before he was conceived in the womb.”

 Under the Law of Moses, all male infants were to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth (Leviticus 12:3).  At that time , he was named Jesus as God had instructed through the Angel Gabriel. Jesus in Hebrew is Joshua, or Yehoshuah, meaning "Yahweh will save." 

The Collect for the Feast Day of the Holy Name of Jesus

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was circumcised for our sake in obedience to the Covenant of Abraham, and given the Name that is above every name: give us the grace to faithfully bear his Name, to worship him in the Spirit given in the New Covenant, and to proclaim him as the Savior of the world; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.


1 comment:

  1. Thank You for sharing, Phil. 2 is one of my very favorite passages of Scripture.

    Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

    and gave him the name that is above every name,

    that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

    and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

    to the glory of God the Father. Phil 2:9-11.

    Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

    The following familiar Hymn by Lydia Odell Baxter may be found, in many Hymnals, under the category, "Comfort In Trials". Here is an excerpt:

    Take the name of Jesus with you, child of sorrow and of woe; it will joy and comfort give you; take it then, where'er you go.

    Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heaven. Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heaven.

    At the name of Jesus bowing, falling prostrate at his feet, King of kings in heaven we'll crown him, when our journey is complete.

    Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heaven. Precious name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of heaven.

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