The Holy Name of Jesus expresses the identity and saving mission of the Son of God, whose name means that the Lord saves. Catholics pray this novena in reverence for Jesus, asking that His name shape their prayer, speech, choices, and trust.
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The angel instructed Mary and Joseph to give the child the name Jesus because He would save His people from their sins. The New Testament teaches that God highly exalted Christ and bestowed on Him the name above every name, so that every knee should bend and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Christians therefore call on the name of Jesus in worship, petition, repentance, and spiritual struggle. Reverence for His name is reverence for the Person and saving work of the Lord Himself.
Devotion to the Holy Name grew strongly in the later Middle Ages, especially through the preaching of St. Bernardine of Siena and other Franciscans. The monogram IHS became a familiar sign of faith in Christ and was later closely associated with the Society of Jesus. The Church celebrates the Most Holy Name of Jesus in the Christmas season. This novena asks for a heart centered on Jesus and for speech that honors His name and respects the dignity of others.
