ST. BERNARDINE: THE HOLY NAME
THE LITANY OF THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS
CHAPLET OF THE HOLY NAME
SAINT BERNARDINE
OF SIENA
and the Power of the Name of Jesus
Bernardine of Siena was born on September 8, 1380,
feast of the Nativity of Mary. He was a member of the Albizeschi
family,
one of the most renowned in the Republic of Siena. No one had any idea
of the future glory of the child who, according to Saint Antoninus, was
destined to become "a new star in the midst of the murky darkness of
the
earth; to shine with the brightness of Divine gifts; to beam far and
wide
the bright rays of his glorious life and teachings; to lead in the fear
of God, by the holiness of his example, a people whose blindness had
removed
it from the straight path of the heavenly Homeland." He was Baptized on
the very day of his birth.
When it came time to choose a vocation, Bernardine
directed his thoughts toward the religious life. But toward what Order
was he to direct his feet? He went into retreat in a solitary house,
redoubled
his fervor and prayed without ceasing until Divine grace dissolved his
incertitude. One day while he was kneeling at the foot of his crucifix
as usual and beseeching God, he suddenly heard Jesus say to him:
"My son Bernardine, you see Me hanging on the
Cross, in a state of total denudation. If you love Me and want to walk
in My footsteps, fasten yourself also to the cross, divested of
everything."
These words made such an impression on him that
he decided to follow them to the letter. On September 8, 1402, at the
age
of twenty-two, he was clothed in the habit of Saint Francis and entered
the novitiate in the convent of Colombaio, not far from Siena. The new
novice distinguished himself above all by his spirit of obedience.
Understanding
that this virtue was the pivotal point of the religious life,
Bernardine
became the model of the community. He had the joy of making his vows on
the evening of another September 8, and to celebrate his first Mass one
year later on the same date.
Bernardine's superiors commanded him to devote
himself in the preaching ministry. His voice had a natural defect that
prevented him from being heard by anything more than a very limited
group:
the intercession of the Blessed Virgin delivered him from this
difficulty
in doing good.
The new apostle was thirty-eight years old when
he began to be famous in the major cities of Italy. Until then he had
divided
his days into periods of prayer, study, and several brief meditations.
Diligent in the reading of Holy Scripture, he had penetrated its
various
meanings and knew how to apply them on every occasion, according to the
needs of his listeners.
The Name of Jesus was the usual theme of the holy
apostle's addresses. As a child he had been taught to venerate it in a
special manner. Later, on reading the epistles of Saint Paul, he had
found
the Divine Name on almost every line. He had seen Saint Peter answer
the
leaders of the Synagogue that only in this Name could man be saved. So
his decision was made, to adopt the Name of Jesus as his standard and
his
sole
weapon.
Milan, Genoa, Tortona, Castel Nuovo, Florence,
Volterra . . . all of them, one after another, heard Bernardine preach.
At the end of his sermons, he would take a tablet with the Divine Name
painted on it and show it to his listeners; then, having them kneel, he
would invite them to beg the Savior of the world for mercy, promise to
live in peace with God and men, implore the Heavenly Father, in virtue
of that same Name which He had given to His only-begotten Son to have
compassion
on all Christians for eternity. Then, raising the tablet, he would
bless
just men and sinners alike, sending them off with their souls filled
with
generous resolutions for the future. Ordinarily, no one could resist
this
imposing ceremony.
Bernardine left the people of Volterra the little
tablet on which he had personally painted the glorious Name of his
beloved
Savior, and which he had used during his sermons until then. It became
a pledge of protection; in times of calamity it was carried in
procession.
If drought withered the earth, if rain threatened the harvest, if
plague
or war wreaked havoc, it was exposed for public veneration. And on many
occasions, God was pleased to glorify the memory of His faithful
servant.
One year before his death, a church was erected in Volterra in honor of
the Holy Name of Jesus and a pious association was established to guard
the precious relic, which can still be venerated today.
On learning that there was a man possessed by
the devil in the city of Alessandria in the Piedmont, where he was
passing
through, the holy preacher gave a child a piece of paper on which the
glorious
Name of the Savior was written, with orders to put it on the possessed
person. The child had hardly done so when the unclean spirit took
flight.
It was also Saint Bernardine who set up a hospital,
known since then by the name of Old Lazaret, on the Isle of Santa Maria
de Nazaret. He had the Name of Jesus engraved in various places; even
today,
the Divine Name engraved on the facade of the church reminds posterity
of the Saint's touching preoccupation during the exercise of his
apostolic
preaching.
He had truly wondrous success in Bellune, a city
in the Republic of Venice. The pulpit was set up in the city's largest
square. There, after having won the sympathy of the townsfolk, our
Saint
drew a striking sketch of the woes of Bellune. Reminding them of what
he
had said elsewhere about the cruelties of various factions, the excess
of ferocity with which they defiled themselves and the atrocious crimes
of which they were guilty, he pointed out the painted signs of rival
factions
set above the doors of peoples' homes. Then, raising a tablet upon
which
he had written the Name of Jesus, he presented that adorable Name as
the
only one worthy of being engraved in hearts, on the doors and walls of
homes, and on the facades of churches, citadels and public monuments:
the
Saint won a total victory. Never had a more striking triumph crowned
his
words.
The throng spread through the streets; paintings
representing the insignia of rival factions vanished everywhere at
once;
even their slightest vestige was blotted out. The Name of Jesus was
engraved
on walls. Some people had it painted on their doors and inside their
homes,
surrounded with rays of light, whereas others used sculpture to
immortalize
the remembrance of that great day.
In Bologna, Bernardine put a halt to games of
chance. One worker's exclusive occupation was painting playing cards.
He
had found this work sufficient to provide for his family needs, but now
he was threatened with falling into need as a result of the reforms
introduced
by the Saint in his city. He came to speak of his worries to the very
one
who was causing them. Bernardine welcomed him with kindness and asked
him
if he really did not know any other trade.
"None, Father," answered the worker.
"Well then, will you try one that I will suggest
to you? You will make enough for yourself and your family, I promise
you."
"Gladly," said he, "I will do it at once."
Taking a compass, the Saint drew a circle on a
board, then sketched the adorable Name of Jesus in the middle of it,
drawing
bright rays of light all around it. He showed the sketch to the worker
and said to him:
"There, my friend, make similar paintings based
on this model, and you will make an income great enough to meet your
needs."
The painter followed his advice, and soon people were thronging to his
workshop; within a few short days, he had been largely compensated for
abandoning his former industry.
One of our Saint's diligent listeners in Siena
was Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, who later became pope under the name of
Pius II. In his notes, the latter tells of the impulsion produced by
Bernardine's
addresses: "One day, as he was preaching in the square in Siena, a
thick
cloud formed and threatened rain. Everyone wanted to run off. 'Friends,
remain in peace,' exclaimed the orator. He knelt down and prayed,
ordering
the cloud, by virtue of the Name of Jesus, to go away. Scarcely had he
spoken when the cloud scattered without a drop of rain, and the weather
turned as fair as it had been before."
To conclude his mission in that city, the Saint
went to the pulpit holding the tablet with the Name of Jesus painted on
it. Presenting the Divine Name to the crowd as the hope of nations and
the joy of the elect, he delivered a warm address on the subject and
then
invited his listeners to kneel and make honorable amends and ask
forgiveness
for past sins. The moving voice of the preacher and the sight of that
adorable
Name, without which there is no salvation for the world, brought on
tears
and sobs. And this was no passing emotion, it was a public act that
engaged
them for the future, a new consecration in the Lord's service; it was
the
cry of the Prophet, repeated by thousands of voices: "I have sworn, and
I do resolve to keep Your just ordinances." [Psalm 118: 106] Before
dismissing
the crowd, the missionary announced a procession on the following day
in
honor of the glorious Name he had just exalted.
At the hour he had set, an immense multitude pressed
into Siena's great public square. Bernardine offered the Holy Sacrifice
of the Mass, and the procession unfurled through the city streets. Amid
the lines of people was carried the sacred tablet representing the Name
of Jesus, followed by one of the nails that had fastened the Savior to
the cross, a relic religiously kept in the La Scala treasury. Never had
a more majestic sight been offered to the citizens of Siena: fervor was
at its height. Thus, as in Florence, the blessed preacher was able to
crown
his work by having the people publicly burn objects of vanity and games
which men and women hastened to present.
Wanting to immortalize the remembrance of the
Heavenly graces received on this occasion, the municipality had the
glorious
Name of Jesus painted on the facade of the palace of the republic and
surrounded
by rays of gold. The tablet carried in procession was given to the
Franciscans
in the city; the pulpit that had been set up in the square was brought
back to the cathedral, where it has remained to this day.
The Name of Jesus in the hands of the holy apostle
became the rainbow of peace; every knee bent, appeased, every sinner
hastened
to the wellsprings of pardon, wherever Bernardine set up that mighty
symbol.
The three letters [JHS] which represented that Name forever blessed
became
familiar to all the faithful; they were sculpted, engraved and painted
everywhere; thus did the Catholic people acquire a new expression of
their
religion and their love toward the Savior of men.
We have seen Saint Bernardine of Siena at work,
now let us listen to him speaking on the adorable Name of Jesus . . .
The Name of Jesus is the refuge of the penitent
sinner, a refuge full of meekness in which majesty effaces itself,
tenderness
becomes sweeter, Divine mercy appears in Its grandeur. The Name of God
is awesome; in it is found the ardor of the flame which consumes, the
wrath
which chastises, the weight which crushes; but all these things have
been
tempered in the wellspring of mercy by Jesus Christ Who was smitten
with
love for us in the womb of the Virgin Mary. There, that ardor has lost
its violence, that wrath has become forbearance, that overwhelming
weight
has become light . . . "O my God," exclaims the Prophet, "say to my
soul:
I am thy salvation." [Psalm 34: 3] May Thy Name be heard by my ears;
Thy
voice is full of sweetness and Thy face full of beauty.
The Name of Jesus is the banner of combatants
. . . We have three kinds of enemies: the world, the flesh and the
devil.
If the devil rises up against you, do not be afraid, but lift the
banner
of salvation against him by invoking Jesus. "In My Name," He says,
"cast
out devils." [Mark 16: 17] The Prophet says, "Holy and awesome is His
Name."
[Psalm 110: 9] Holy for the Angels, awesome for the devils and the
godless.
The flesh makes you feel its attacks? Well, in sorrow, may the Name of
Jesus find place in your heart, may it rise from there to your lips,
and
by the light of that Name, every cloud shall scatter, serenity shall
reappear.
You have fallen into crime? Despair gets hold of you? Who, then, shall
invoke that Name of life without breathing at once? Who, then, in the
presence
of that saving Name has not felt hardness of heart, dullness and
laziness
of soul disappear? Who, then, seeing his tears dry up, has not shed
more
abundant ones, wept sweeter ones, after invoking that Name? Nothing can
halt the transport of wrath, nothing can contain the puffing up of
pride,
nothing can heal the wound of envy, nothing can resist the surge of
sensuality,
nothing can extinguish the flame of pleasure, nothing can temper the
thirst
of avarice, nothing can consume the rust of every dishonor like the
Name
of Jesus . . . The world declares itself against you; by a secret
judgment
of God, you are shipwrecked in the middle of the sea; you are exposed
to
its dangers; upon your path you find overflowing rivers, threatening
enemies,
ably hatched betrayals, thunder and lightning, ruination, accidents,
unexpected
fires? Invoke the Name of salvation, and may your heart and your mouth
both call upon Jesus, hope in the help of the Most High. He Himself has
said, "He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him
in distress." [Psalm 90: 15] "I will deliver him; I will set him on
high
because he acknowledges My Name." [Psalm 90: 14] Indeed, "the Name of
the
Lord is a strong tower; the just man runs to it and is safe."
[Proverbs 18: 10]
The Name of Jesus is a remedy for our infirmities;
it gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, nimbleness to the
lame,
speech to the mute, life to the dead . . . When you feel some
suffering,
you or yours, without neglecting natural remedies, have recourse to the
Name of Jesus . . . I have learned from witnesses worthy of faith that
in our days, many have laid their hands on the sick, according to the
divine
precept, and have invoked the Name of Jesus, and those illnesses were
healed.
As the Prophet says, "He saved them for His Name's sake, to make known
His power." [Psalm 105: 7-8]
The Name of Jesus is the comfort of those who
suffer. God does not let His servants fall in temptation, yet He
exposes
them to the pains of life. But then, far be it from us to despair! Let
us not forget the sweet Name of Jesus, let us invoke it especially
then.
Saint Augustine says, "The Name of Jesus, written in the heart of the
just,
gives them an astonishing boldness to counter the blows of every woe."
Before her judge Saint Agatha exclaimed, "If you threaten me with
ferocious
beasts, they will become tame at the Name of Jesus; if you use fire
against
me, at that Name the Angels will surround me with life-giving dew." By
virtue of that Name, the Martyrs overcame every torment: "Through Your
Name we trampled down Your adversaries; our help is in the Name of the
Lord." [Psalm 143: 6; 123:8]
The Name of Jesus is the glory of those who believe.
The main base of the Faith is the Name of Jesus; that Name upholds the
edifice; upon it the pillars rise; upon it the summit of the monument
rests,
and that summit is Heavenly beatitude. The Catholic Faith resides in
the
knowledge of Jesus Christ; He is the light of the soul, the gateway to
life, the foundation of eternal salvation.
The Name of Jesus is the torch of the word of
God. Saint Bernard says, "How can you believe that a light so great, so
sudden, so bright, would have shone in the whole world, if not by the
preaching
of the Name of Jesus ?" When wheat is taken from a field and the fire
is
lit, dry grass, useless brambles and thorns are soon consumed; when the
sun casts its bright rays upon rising and the darkness has disappeared,
thieves and nighttime prowlers go and hide. Thus when the tongue of
Paul,
like a thunderclap, like the sun at its brightest, made itself heard by
the nations, infidelity was consumed, falsehood vanished, the truth
cast
forth its splendor, the world was like wax exposed to the heat of a
violent
fire. Then the Apostle, by his writings, words, miracles and examples,
made the Name of Jesus penetrate everywhere; he bore it in the presence
of kings, of nations and of the children of Israel as a torch, and with
it he lit up all the lands of the world . . .
The Name of Jesus is the help of the weary soul.
Saint Bernard says, "Each time you remember the Name of Jesus, do you
not
feel your strength reborn?" Who restores our mind like this
remembrance?
Who repairs our weary senses, reconfirms our virtues, vitalizes our
good
and honest actions, gives warmth back to our pure affections as much as
He?. . . May the Name of Jesus be always placed in your soul, always
borne
in your hands: in Him you will find a remedy for your indolence, a
remedy
to correct your evil acts and lift up those that are imperfect, a
remedy
to keep your senses from corruption and heal them if they become
corrupted
. . .
The Name of Jesus is the glory of the blessed
in Heaven. Those who have loved that Name will enjoy in their mind, as
the reward of their faith, the perfect vision of the truth manifested
in
all its splendor; in their memory, as a fruit of their hope, they will
have the eternal possession of the Supreme Majesty, and in their will
as
a reward for their love, the enjoyment of the most ineffable good.
"Thou
art the joy of those who love Thy Name." [Psalm 5: 12] Because of that
Name of
Jesus, the soul entirely shall live, entirely shall be endowed,
entirely
happy, entirely in its three powers made like unto God, Trinity and
Unity,
entirely united to Him, entirely enlightened, entirely plunged in
peace.
. .
O Name of Jesus lifted up above every name, triumphal
Name, joy of the Angels, joy of the just, dread of Hell, in Thee lies
all
hope of forgiveness, all hope of grace, all hope of glory.
O most meek Name, from Thee we received forgiveness
of sin, renewal of life; Thou fillest our souls with Divine delights,
Thou
takest away their vain imaginings.
O Name full of grace, by Thee the depths of miracles
are disclosed to our sight; our hearts burn with Heavenly love, become
strong in combat, escape every danger.
O glorious Name, delectable Name, admirable Name,
Name worthy of our veneration, Name full of sweetness of Jesus our
King,
Thou doth transports above this earth by the abundance of grace, Thou
ravisheth,
in a way, the souls of Thy faithful even to Divine heights; may all who
are devoted to Thee find salvation and glory in Thy virtue . . .
Whenever you hear His Holy Name pronounced, bow
your head; do so likewise every time you say His Sacred Name.
Litany
of
the
Most Holy Name of Jesus
The Litany of the Most Holy Name
of Jesus is one of the three main litanies in honor
of our Lord, the other two being,
the Litany of the Sacred Heart and the
Litany of the Precious Blood.
This Litany
carries a partial indulgence.
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, etc.
From Thy wrath,
From the snares of the
devil,
From the spirit of fornication,
From everlasting death,
From the neglect of
Thine inspirations,
Through the mystery
of Thy holy Incarnation,
deliver us, O
Jesus.
Through Thine Nativity, etc.
Through Thy Infancy,
Through Thy most Divine
Life,
Through your Labors,
Through Thine Agony
and Passion,
Through Thine Cross
and Dereliction,
Through Thine Sufferings,
Through Thy Death and
Burial,
Through Thine Resurrection,
Through Thine Ascension,
Through Thine Institution
of the Most Holy Eucharist,
Through Thy Joys,
Through Thy Glory,
Lamb of God, Who takest
away the sins of the world,
spare us, O
Jesus!
Lamb of God, Who takeest
away the sins of the world,
graciously hear
us,
O Jesus!
Lamb of God, Who takest
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, Thou has said, "Ask and ye shall receive; seek, and ye
shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" mercifully attend to our
supplications, and grant us the grace of Thy divine charity, that we
may
ever love Thee with our whole heart, and with all our words and deeds,
and may never cease from praising Thee.
Make us, O Lord,
to have a perpetual fear and love of Thy Holy Name, for Thou doth never
fails
to govern those whom Thou solidly establishest in Thy love. Thou, Who
livest
and reignest forever and ever. R.
Amen.
Chaplet
of the Holy Name
Make
an Act
of Contrition
On the large bead:
Incline unto my aid, O God,
O Lord, make haste to help me.
First Decade:
Lord, Thou hast said:
"Ask and ye shall
receive; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall
be opened unto you,"
I seek, I knock,
I ask this favor [Name it].
Repeat 10 times:
Incline unto my aid, O God,
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Second Decade:
"Amen, I say unto
you, if ye ask the Father anything
in My Name it shall
be given unto you." It is of the
Father and in Thy
Name, Lord, I ask this favor.
Repeat 10 times:
Incline unto my aid, O God,
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Third Decade:
Lord, Thou hast said:
"Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but My Word shall not pass away,"
Thou wilt grant me this favor because
Thou hast said it and Thy word is true.
Repeat 10 times:
Incline unto my aid, O God,
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Quid ad te? Tu Me sequere.
What is it to thee? Do thou follow me.
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