January – the month dedicated to the Most Holy Name of Jesus

With origins in the Middle Ages, Catholic piety calls us to enrich our faith monthly through themes focused on particular saints, mysteries, and other aspects of faith. This January summary – the month of the Most Holy Name of Jesus – is the first of a monthly series that will raise awareness by highlighting specific treasures of our Catholic faith.

Jesus: “For of all the names given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.” St. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaimed this, referring to the unique saving power of the name of Jesus. Because of this bold and true proclamation, His name is The Most Holy Name.

The Most Holy Name of Jesus evokes immense spiritual protection as well as wonder and awe. Today, in His Church and in the world, His name should be honored more than ever. This month, let us recognize the beauty of His Holy name by deepening our understanding of its origin, meaning, and inherent power. Finally, let us remember that we can, especially this month, invoke His name and saving power through simple prayer.

The Divine Origin of His Name – Spiritual Conferral
The origin of the Holy Name of Jesus is of and from God and therefore divine. Its beginning was divine; His name is divine now and will always remain divine. Two separate biblical passages help form our understanding of how the name Jesus originated. Two messages were delivered to his parents by an angel before he was conceived. His name would form his identity and foretell His mission to save.

To Mary, at the Annunciation, the Angel Gabriel appeared and announced, “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. For he shall save people from their sins” (Lk 1:31).

To Joseph, an angel appeared in a dream and announced, “You are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21).

Jesus’ name is made public: Later, after eight days had passed, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived (see Lk 2:21). Joseph, accepting God’s message, took decisive action. The naming by his father marked the formal, public declaration of his name required by Mosaic law (Lev 12:3; Gen 17:12). 

St. Joseph, therefore, declares his fatherhood and at the same time proclaims God’s mission through the public act of naming Jesus after birth. In his apostolic exhortation Redemptoris Custos (1989), St. Pope John Paul II highlights Joseph’s role in registering the child under the name “Jesus” in connection with the census: “Journeying to Bethlehem, for the census… Joseph fulfilled for the child the significant task of officially inserting the name ‘Jesus, son of Joseph of Nazareth’ in the registry of the Roman Empire (cf. Jn 1:45).”

Meaning and Power of His Holy Name
The Holy Name of Jesus, derived from Hebrew, means “God Saves.” Saves from what? From all sin, death, and the devil. Salvation, therefore, is not an idea; it’s a person — the person of Jesus. When we speak the name Jesus, we immediately ask him to come into our lives and save us.

The Catechism of the Council of Trent explains that unique salvation is found in the name of Jesus. He alone brings universal salvation—not merely temporal deliverance, but liberation from sin, death, and the devil. All other prophetic titles of the Messiah are encompassed in “Jesus,” which fully signifies human salvation. The name Jesus is not merely a title but embodies divine power, containing “God and man and the whole economy of creation and salvation” (CCC 2666).

A simple prayer: invoking His name
Invoking the name of Jesus is the simplest and most effective prayer. Like Him, His name instantly evokes comfort, beauty, and complete perfection. His name never fails to protect, strengthen, and save. This echoes Scripture, where the Name "Jesus" contains the fullness of God and man, salvation, and presence: “To pray ‘Jesus’ is to invoke him and to call him within us, welcoming the Risen One who loved us, and gave himself for us” (CCC 2666). There are several simple forms of His name in prayer:

The Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a Sinner” (CCC 2667)
Repeat His name attentively and with simple variations such as: “Jesus,” “Jesus, help me,” “Thank you, Jesus,” “Thank you, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” and “Jesus, I trust in you.”
Conclude prayers with “through our Lord Jesus Christ” (CCC 435), recalling that Christ promised, “If you ask the Father anything in my name, he will give it to you” (Jn 16:23).
Bowing or genuflecting at the name during Mass or prayer, as every knee bows “in the name of Jesus” (Phil 2:10).

The Most Holy Name of Jesus reveals His divinity, conquers evil, and draws Christ’s presence into our lives. This January, let us not only think of His Holy Name constantly but also speak it often throughout the day in thanksgiving and in times of troub