January is the month of the Holy Name of Jesus. The feast of the Holy Name originated in the 1500s and was formerly celebrated on the second Sunday of Epiphany. It was removed from the calendar in 1969, "since the imposition of the name of Jesus is already commemorated in the office of the Octave of Christmas." (motu propri: Mysterii Paschalis, 1969) It was restored in 2002 as an optional memorial on the first free day after January 1st.

Because of the feasts in January which pertain to Christ's infancy and childhood, January has also become a month dedicated to the Holy Childhood of Jesus.

INTRODUCTION

The pious practice to bow our head whenever we heard the name of Jesus or said His name ourselves has not been promoted by the "Renewed Church of the Modernists." Children are no longer taught to do this and as they grow into adults and have children of their own, they are unaware of it.

Jesus' name is known far and wide, but as a word with which to swear profanely. His Name is blasphemed, He is depicted as a homosexual doing unspeakable things to His Own Body, His Mother's perpetual virginity is disdained and so forth. Our culture is strewn with the garbage of sacrilege.  If only souls knew the riches of just uttering the Sweet Name of Jesus with reverence and wonder, and the happiness which that Name brings to souls so disposed. (A book THE WONDERS OF THE HOLY NAME by Fr. Paul O' Sullivan, O.P.,)

THE MEANING OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
The name Jesus comes from the Greek Iesous which was derived from the Aramaic, Yeshu. It means "Yaweh is salvation." The name was not unique, even in biblical times, and today it is common in Arabic-speaking East and in Spanish-speaking countries. From apostolic times the name has been treated with the greatest respect, as honor is due the name which represents Our Lord, himself.

The Holy Name of Jesus is, first of all, an all-powerful prayer. Our Lord Himself solemnly promises that whatever we ask the Father in His Name we shall receive. God never fails to keep His word.

When, therefore, we say, "Jesus," let us ask God for all we need with absolute confidence of being heard.  For this reason, the Church ends her prayer with the words, "through Jesus Christ, our Lord" which gives the prayer a new and Divine efficacy.

But the Holy Name is something still greater. Each time we say, "Jesus," we give God infinite joy and glory, for we offer Him all the infinite merits of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ. St. Paul tells us that Jesus merited the Name by His Passion and Death.

• Each time we say "Jesus," let us clearly wish to offer God all the Masses being said all over the world for all our intentions. We thus share in these thousands of Masses.
• Each time we say "Jesus," we gain indulgences for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, thus relieving and liberating very many of these holy souls from their awful pains. Thus they may be our best friends and pray for us-----they cannot pray for themselves, however.
• Each time we say "Jesus," it is an act of perfect love, for we offer to God the infinite love of Jesus.
• The Holy Name of Jesus saves us from innumerable evils and delivers us especially from the power of the devil, who is constantly seeking to do us harm.
• The Holy Name of Jesus gradually fills our souls with a peace and joy we never had before.
• The Holy Name of Jesus gives us strength that our sufferings become light and easy to bear.

FEAST OF THE HOLY NAME

This feast is celebrated on the second Sunday after Epiphany [double of the second class]. It is the central feast of all the mysteries of Christ the Redeemer; it unites all the other feasts of the Lord, as a burning glass focuses the rays of the sun in one point, to show what Jesus is to us, what He has done, is doing, and will do for mankind.

It originated towards the end of the fifteenth century, and was instituted by the private authority of some bishops in Germany, Scotland, England, Spain, and Belgium. The Office and the Mass composed by Bernardine dei Busti (AD. 1500) were approved by Sixtus IV. The feast was officially granted to the Franciscans 25 February, 1530, and spread over a great part of the Church. The Franciscans, Carmelites, and Augustinians kept it on 14 Jan.; the Dominicans 15 Jan. At Salisbury, York, and Durham in England, and at Aberdeen in Scotland it was celebrated 7 Aug., at Liege, 31 Jan., at Compostela and Cambrai, 8 Jan. [Grotefend, "Zeitrechnung", II, 2. 89]. The Carthusians obtained it for the second Sunday after Epiphany about 1643; for that Sunday it was also extended to Spain, and later, 20 Dec., 1721, to the Universal Church. The Office used at present is nearly identical with the Office of Bernardine dei Busti.

The hymns "Jesu dulcis memoria," "Jesu Rex admirabilis," "Jesu decus angelicum," usually ascribed to St. Bernard, are fragments of a very extensive "jubilus" or "cursus de aeterna sapientia" of some unknown author in the thirteenth century. For the beautiful sequence "Dulcis Jesus Nazarenus" [Morel, "Hymnen des Mittelalters," 67] of Bernardine dei Busti the Franciscans substituted a prose sequence of modern origin: "Lauda Sion Salvatoris;" they still celebrate the Feast on 14 January. 

Most Sweet Jesus -- Act of Reparation

A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the above act of reparation.

A plenary indulgence is granted if it is publicly recited on the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Most sweet Jesus, whose overflowing charity for men is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before you, eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries to which your loving Heart is everywhere subject.

Mindful, alas! that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask your pardon and declare our readiness to atone by voluntary expiation, not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying far from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow you, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the promises of their baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of your law.

We are now resolved to expiate each and every deplorable outrage committed against you; we are now determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent, for the frequent violations of Sundays and holy-days, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against you and your Saints. We wish also to make amends for the insults to which your Vicar on earth and your priests are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of your divine love, and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and teaching authority of the Church which you have founded.

Would that we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood. We now offer, in reparation for these violations of your divine honor, the satisfaction you once made to your Eternal Father on the cross and which you continue to renew daily on our altars; we offer it in union with the acts of atonement of your Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can with the help of your grace, for all neglect of your great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past. Henceforth, we will live a life of unswerving faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the Gospel and especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending you and to bring as many as possible to follow you.

O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mother, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and by the crowning gift of perseverance keep us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance we owe to you, so that we may all one day come to that happy home, where with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, God, forever and ever. Amen.

THE LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS

It is important to point out that the fear that that the Holy Name of Jesus should inspire in us is not a cringing, loathing kind of fear, but rather one of reverence and respect, as children should have for their parents.

Speaking of parents, the words our Blessed Mother said of the God the Father in The Magnificat can apply to her Son as well: “His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him.” (Luke 1:50)

We should fear God’s justice and trust in His mercy as well by asking Him for pardon for our sins in prayers such as this litany, in the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Mass), and, most importantly, in the Sacrament of Penance (Confession).

THE LITANY

(Sign of the cross)

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, hear us.

Jesus, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Splendor of the Father, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Brightness of eternal Light, have mercy on us.

Jesus, King of Glory, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Sun of Justice, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Son of the Virgin Mary, have mercy on us.

Jesus, most amiable, have mercy on us.

Jesus, most admirable, have mercy on us.

Jesus, the mighty God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Father of the world to come, have mercy on us.

Jesus, angel of great counsel, have mercy on us.

Jesus, most powerful, have mercy on us.

Jesus, most patient, have mercy on us.

Jesus, most obedient, have mercy on us.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Lover of Chastity, have mercy on us.

Jesus, our Lover, have mercy on us.

Jesus, God of Peace, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Author of Life, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Model of Virtues, have mercy on us.

Jesus, zealous for souls, have mercy on us.

Jesus, our God, have mercy on us.

Jesus, our Refuge, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Father of the Poor, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Treasure of the Faithful, have mercy on us.

Jesus, good Shepherd, have mercy on us.

Jesus, true Light, have mercy on us.

Jesus, eternal Wisdom, have mercy on us.

Jesus, infinite Goodness, have mercy on us.

Jesus, our Way and our Life, have mercy on us.

Jesus, joy of the Angels, have mercy on us.

Jesus, King of the Patriarchs, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Master of the Apostles, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Teacher of the Evangelists, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Strength of Martyrs, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Light of Confessors, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Purity of Virgins, have mercy on us.

Jesus, Crown of all Saints, have mercy on us.

Be merciful, spare us, O Jesus!

Be merciful, graciously hear us, O Jesus!

From all evil, deliver us, O Jesus.

From all sin, deliver us, O Jesus.

From your wrath, deliver us, O Jesus.

From the snares of the devil, deliver us, O Jesus.

From the spirit of fornication, deliver us, O Jesus.

From everlasting death, deliver us, O Jesus.

From the neglect of your inspirations, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through the mystery of your holy Incarnation, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Nativity, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Infancy, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your most divine Life, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Labors, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Agony and Passion, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Cross and Dereliction, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Sufferings, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Death and Burial, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Resurrection, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Ascension, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Institution of the Most Holy Eucharist, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Joys, deliver us, O Jesus.

Through your Glory, deliver us, O Jesus.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Jesus!

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Jesus!

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Jesus!

Jesus, hear us.

Jesus, graciously hear us.

Let us pray.

O Lord Jesus Christ, you have said, "Ask and you shall receive; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you"; mercifully attend to our supplications, and grant us the grace of your most divine love, that we may love you with all our hearts, and in all our words and actions, and never cease to praise you.

Make us, O Lord, to have a perpetual fear and love of your holy name, for you never fail to govern those whom you solidly establish in your love. You, who live and reign forever and ever. R. Amen.

There are partial indulgence attached to the devotion to the Holy Name.