The Holy Name of Jesus

The Holy Name of Jesus

In the middle of the Christmas Cycle, between the Nativity and the Epiphany, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. In this we recall the eighth day after his birth when the Lord’s parents brought him to be circumcised and given the name announced by Gabriel to Mary, “His name shall be Jesus.”

The giving of a name in Judaism has huge significance, because the name gives the public indication of the what the person is; its describes his character, and ’Jesus’ (or ‘Joshua’) means ‘Saviour’. From Hebrew the name is transliterated as yeshu’a, which in Greek becomes iησους, which in Latin becomes Iesus, which in English becomes Jesus. The insignia IHS comes from the first three letters of the Greek name IHΣ (from the captialised IHΣOUΣ), again Latinised as IHS.

At the circumcision the name Jesus was imposed, so at the first shedding of the Lord’s blood we are shown his character in the giving of the name and the ritual action; Saviour and blood.

Iesus Hominum Salvator

It is sometimes said that IHS comes from the initials of Iesus Hominum Salvator (Jesus Saviour of Men). This is a good devotion, but it is not the first meaning given to the IHS. The symbol was so popular that it is not uncommon to find the Latin IESUS misspelled as IHESUS (with the added ‘H’, although in Greek the ‘η’ (’h’ sound) is equivalent to the Latin ’e').

In fact, the first known use of the IHS abbreviation comes in the 8th century, “DN IHS CHS REX REGNANTIUM”, the first three words being abbreviated from “DominNus IHesus CHistuS’ (The Lord Jesus Christ is the King of Kings). Still, although hisotrically inaccurate, there is certainly nothing wrong with seeing the insignia as a testimony to the truth that there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4.12). Most certainly, Jesus alone is the Saviour and without his grace we cannot attain to everlasting life.

In Hoc Signo Vinces

To the emblem of the IHS is often added the three nails which fastened the Lord’s hands and feet, as well as the cross above. The usual position of these images with the IHS brings out the letter V. This emblem is often seen the iconography of the Society of Jesus, and in the churches they built like ours in Manchester. Here then we have the insignia ‘IHSV’, and so the reference to In Hoc Signum Vinces (In this Sign you shall Conquer). This has been taken to refer to the victory of Constantine over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge on 28th October 312. Before the battle Constantine saw in the sky the symbol XP (the Greek chi-rho of ‘Christ’), and heard the words, which were subsequently translated as (In Hoc Signum Vinces), εν τουτω νικα.

The Jesus Psalter

The repetition of the name ‘Jesus’ has been a popular devotion in both Eastern and Western Churches for many hundreds of years. Such a simple word, or phrase which extends it, is repeated over and over again as a focus for the intellect through which the heart can grow in love of God. In the Middle Ages the ‘Jesus Psalter’ developed in England by the Brigittine community at Sion (near London), and reached its final composition by Richard Whitford, a friend of Thomas More and monk of Sion Abbey. It was printed as a separate devotion by 1520, and was remarkably popular in all classes of society. It remained part of Catholic devotion through penal times, being reprinted in Challoner’s Garden of the Soul.

It uses the repetition of the holy name of Jesus, and adds to it a prayer for a particular intention.

There are 15 intentions, split into 3 parts, rather like the rosary. Copies of the Jesus Psalter are available on application to the Rector.

An online version can be found here: http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Filius/PsalterIesu.html