What's in a Name?

In this Sunday's First Reading from Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41, we see the Apostles, who are grateful that they were worthy to suffer for the Name. 


Here's a snippet:

The name of Jesus in Hebrew means “God saves.”  The name announces both his identity and his mission. It was indeed, Jesus’ mission to save humanity from its sins.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church further describes the name in CCC 432:

The name “Jesus” signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son, made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings salvation, and henceforth all can invoke his name, for Jesus united himself to all men through his Incarnation, so that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved [Cf. Acts 4:12; 9:14; Jas 2:7.]“

Just as the name of Jesus announces his identity and mission, the name of “Christian” should announce our own identity and mission.  This starts with Baptism.

Read the rest of my latest article in the Embracing the Catechism series over on Today's Catholic Woman.