Fr. JC Maximilian

[Philippe de Champaigne’s The Dream of Saint Joseph painted around 1636]

So, are you all ready for Christmas? Do you have all your shopping, baking, and Christmas cards done? Christmas is so close that we can practically touch it. The joy of Christ’s birth is already warming our hearts, but our Lord wants our hearts to grow even warmer.

This past Tuesday I attended something that certainly warmed my heart. It was the annual Christmas show that our pre-schoolers put on. Our wonderful pre-school teachers had all the kids well rehearsed to sing the carols, and of course the children were so very cute and full of excitement. One thing that really impressed me during one of the songs was that the teachers had taught the children to bow their heads at the name of Jesus.

For many, this might seem as an old-fashioned custom, but it is one that helps us keep in mind that we should have a special reverence for the name of Jesus. In the readings this weekend three of the names of the Lord are revealed to us. Of course we have all heard these names before, but we need to think about them again.

Names have power. Just think about the many stories and legends that talk about the power of a name. I recent finished reading a science fiction trilogy by Ursala LeGuin, called EarthSea, in which if you knew a thing’s real name you had power over the thing. Of course we do not believe in such magical thinking, however when we really understand the meaning of Christ’s names our relationship with God can be brought to a whole new level.

Human parents are very careful in choosing a name for their children. They want the name to have some special meaning or significance. Maybe we are named after a grandparent, or a favorite aunt or uncle, or perhaps even a favorite saint. I even knew a woman who was named after her mother’s favorite candy. Parents carefully deliberate over the name of their children because they want the name to signify just how important this new life is to them.

God the Father was also very careful in naming His Son. He did not leave it up to chance or to Mary and Joseph’s creativity. God the Father chose His Son’s name Himself, and sent an angel to announce the choice to Mary and Joseph.

In the Old Testament, God often changed people’s names when He was entrusting to them a special mission in salvation history. Just think about Abram who became our father of faith Abraham. Or Jacob who became the father of the nation, Israel. The meaning of their new names signified their role in God’s plan.

When God the Father instructs Joseph to call Mary’s son “Jesus” even before He has been born, He is showing that Jesus is not just another prophet. Rather the Father is showing that Jesus is His Son in an entirely unique way — so much so that God the Father has the right to choose His name right from the beginning of His human existence.

What does this name mean? In Hebrew, Jesus means “God saves.” This name reveals to the whole world Christ’s mission. Unlike the prophets of the Old Testament, Jesus did not come merely to announce God’s plan of saving mankind from sin and death. Rather Jesus came in order to enact that plan. Jesus came to win that salvation for everyone.

However, another name is also revealed to us in today’s readings: the name “Emmanuel”. This is the name foretold by the prophet Isaiah, and St. Matthew applies it explicitly to Jesus. In Hebrew Emmanuel means, “God is among us.” Where as the name “Jesus” referred to Christ’s mission, what He came to do, the name “Emmanuel” refers to His identity, who Jesus is.

The two names are, of course, closely related. The only reason that Jesus is capable of winning salvation for the human race is precisely because He is both true Man and true God. Original Sin had cut off the human race from God’s friendship; it destroyed sanctifying grace, the Divine Life within us. It made us slaves of the devil. Adam and Eve had freely disobeyed God and obeyed Satan, and so they put themselves and their descendants under Satan’s influence. This was the origin of evil in the world. We could not climb back up to God’s level on our own. In order to reestablish the friendship with God, we needed God Himself to take the initiative. We needed a Savior who could unite God and the human family.

Jesus is that Savior. He brings God and humanity back together in His own person. He has God for His Father, so He is fully Divine, and He has Mary for His mother, so He is fully human. Thus, since He is “Emmanuel” (God among us) He can also be “Jesus” (God saves). God becoming man in order to save the fallen human race is the greatest story ever told, more fantastic than any science fiction or fantasy or fairy tale. Yet, it is as true as the air we breath. This is the true meaning of Christmas.

There is yet another name that the Church presents to us today. In today’s second reading, St. Paul summarizes Christ’s amazing mission and refers to Him as “Lord”. “Jesus” and “Emmanuel” are names that only God could have given, but “Lord” is a name that only we can give.

“Lord” comes from the Hebrew word “Adonai” (add-own-EYE), which is used often in the Old Testament. It is a grammatical alteration of the word “adoni” (add-own-EE), which referred to kings, owners of slaves, and heads of households. Anyone who had authority over other persons was called “adoni.” However, only God was referred to as “Adonai”. Human authorities always receive their authority from somewhere — a cultural tradition, a higher authority, their position in society. However, God does not receive His authority from anyone else. He is the ultimate source of all power, order, truth, beauty, greatness and love. By His very nature, God is “Adonai” — Lord.

When we call Jesus Lord we are acknowledging that He is much more than just one of history’s great religious leaders or moral teachers. In calling Him Lord, we are expressing our conviction that He is truly Jesus, the Savior; that He is truly Emmanuel, God among us; and that He is truly worthy of our faith and obedience. God cannot call Himself Lord because He cannot submit Himself to Himself. Only we can submit ourselves freely to Jesus’ authority, to be His followers. Only Christians can call Jesus Lord.

In the days remaining before Christmas, let us keep all three names on our lips and in our hearts, as true lovers always do. At the name of Jesus, who is Emmanuel, let us bow our heads in respect and reverence for our Lord.

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