THE HOLY NAME OF JESUS AND THE CIRCUMCISION OF OUR LORD
THE CHILD OF THE COVENANT IS NAMED AS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD
Feast Day: January 1
Gospel Readings: Mt 1:18–25; Lk 2:21
Introduction
On the eighth day after Christmas, the Syro-Malabar Church celebrates the Holy Name of Jesus and the Circumcision of Our Lord. The feast commemorates the first public act of obedience performed for the infant Jesus according to the Law of Moses and the formal conferral of the name chosen by God before his conception.
The name “Jesus” was not selected by Mary and Joseph according to family custom or personal preference. God revealed it independently to Mary and Joseph through the angel. The name expressed the identity and mission of the Child: “You are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21).
Through circumcision, Jesus entered visibly into the covenant given to Abraham. Although he was the divine Lawgiver, he submitted humbly to the Law. The eternal Son accepted the mark of the covenant and shed his blood for the first time. This event anticipates the Cross, where he would pour out his blood to establish the New Covenant and bring salvation to all nations.
The feast is particularly appropriate for the first day of the civil year. We begin the year not by trusting in luck, wealth, or human power but by invoking the saving name of Jesus. His name gives meaning to time, direction to our plans, strength in temptation, comfort in suffering, and hope in the face of death.
Bible Passage (Mt 1:18–25; Lk 2:21)
Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph, who was righteous and unwilling to expose Mary to shame, decided to separate from her quietly.
While Joseph was considering this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The angel told him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home because the Child conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit. Mary would bear a son, and Joseph was to name him Jesus because he would save his people from their sins.
This fulfilled the prophecy that a virgin would conceive and bear a son who would be called Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.”
When Joseph awoke, he obeyed the angel and took Mary into his home. He had no relations with her before she bore a son, and Joseph named him Jesus.
Luke adds that when eight days were completed, the Child was circumcised and named Jesus—the name given by the angel before he was conceived in Mary’s womb (Lk 2:21).
Background
Matthew presents the naming of Jesus from the perspective of Joseph. Joseph learns that Mary’s Child was conceived through the Holy Spirit and receives the responsibility of naming him.
Luke presents the event from the perspective of the covenant observance. Eight days after birth, Jesus was circumcised and formally given the name announced by the angel.
The two Gospel accounts complement one another. God revealed the name to Mary at the Annunciation: “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus” (Lk 1:31). God also instructed Joseph: “You are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21).
Mary received the name in faith, and Joseph conferred it through obedient fatherhood. Both recognized that the Child belonged first to God and that his mission came from the Father.
The name Jesus is related to the Hebrew name Yeshua, a form of Joshua, meaning “The Lord saves” or “The Lord is salvation.” The Child does not merely speak about salvation; he embodies and accomplishes it.
Opening Life Connection
Names are closely connected with identity. Parents carefully choose names for their children, often honoring relatives, saints, cultural traditions, or spiritual values. A name distinguishes a person and expresses a relationship.
The name Jesus is unique because it was chosen by God and reveals the Child’s saving mission. Every time we pronounce his name with faith, we proclaim that salvation comes from the Lord.
Yet the Holy Name must not become a casual expression or empty religious formula. To call Jesus “Savior” means acknowledging that we need to be saved. To call him “Lord” means submitting our lives to his authority.
At the beginning of a new year, many people make resolutions concerning health, work, finances, education, and personal growth. The feast asks a more fundamental question: Will the name of Jesus guide our decisions, relationships, worship, work, and use of time during the year?
Joseph’s Crisis of Faith
“Mary was betrothed to Joseph”
Jewish betrothal was a legally binding relationship. Although the couple had not yet begun living together, they were regarded as husband and wife. Ending the relationship ordinarily required a formal act of divorce.
When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, he faced a painful mystery. He knew that the Child was not biologically his, yet he did not know how the conception had occurred.
The Gospel does not portray Joseph as angry or vengeful. He remained righteous and compassionate even when he did not understand the situation.
His example teaches us not to respond impulsively when circumstances are unclear. Righteousness must remain united with mercy.
“Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man”
Biblical righteousness means living in right relationship with God and others. Joseph’s righteousness did not make him harsh. It made him sensitive to both God’s Law and Mary’s dignity.
He intended to withdraw quietly rather than expose Mary to public disgrace. Even in personal pain, he sought to protect her.
True holiness never delights in humiliating another person. It seeks truth while preserving charity.
“He decided to divorce her quietly”
Joseph formed a plan based on the information available to him. His decision was compassionate, but God had a greater plan.
This reminds us that a sincere human plan may still need divine correction. Joseph remained open enough for God to redirect him.
When we place our decisions before God, we must be willing not only to ask him to bless our plans but also to change them.
“Such was his intention when the angel of the Lord appeared to him”
God intervened while Joseph was reflecting. His discernment created space for divine guidance.
The angel did not appear while Joseph was acting in anger. The message came while he was quietly considering the situation.
Prayerful reflection protects us from decisions driven by fear, wounded pride, or incomplete information.
“Joseph, son of David”
The angel addresses Joseph by his royal ancestry. Though he was an ordinary worker, Joseph belonged to the family of David.
By accepting Jesus and giving him a name, Joseph legally incorporated the Child into David’s lineage. Thus, Jesus entered the house of David and fulfilled the messianic promises.
Joseph’s hidden obedience became essential to salvation history. God can accomplish great things through duties that appear ordinary.
“Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home”
Fear could have prevented Joseph from accepting his vocation. The angel invited him to move from uncertainty to trust.
Taking Mary into his home meant accepting both her and the divine Child. It also meant accepting misunderstanding, responsibility, sacrifice, and an uncertain future.
Every vocation requires the courage to receive what God entrusts to us.
“For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived”
Jesus’ conception is entirely God’s initiative. He is not the product of human planning but the eternal Son entering human history through the action of the Holy Spirit.
The virginal conception reveals both the divine identity of Jesus and the gracious character of salvation. Humanity does not produce its own Savior. God comes to save humanity.
The Command to Name the Child
“She will bear a son”
The angel announces with certainty that Mary will give birth to a son. God’s promise is already moving toward fulfillment.
The Child is truly human, born of a woman, and truly divine, conceived by the Holy Spirit. The mystery of the Incarnation unites divinity and humanity in the one person of Jesus Christ.
“You are to name him Jesus”
The command is addressed to Joseph. By naming the Child, Joseph accepts legal and paternal responsibility for him.
In biblical culture, naming expressed authority, relationship, and vocation. Joseph did not invent Jesus’ mission. He received and proclaimed the mission given by God.
St. John Paul II taught that in conferring the name, Joseph declared his legal fatherhood and proclaimed the Child’s mission as Savior. Redemptoris Custos, 12
“Because he will save his people from their sins”
The name explains why Jesus came. Israel expected deliverance from political oppression, but the angel identifies a deeper bondage: sin.
Sin separates humanity from God, damages relationships, darkens the intellect, weakens the will, and leads toward death. Human effort alone cannot overcome it.
Jesus saves by reconciling humanity with the Father through his Incarnation, teaching, healing, obedience, Passion, death, and Resurrection.
He does not merely save us from consequences. He saves us from sin itself and gives us a new life of grace.
Jesus as Emmanuel
“They shall name him Emmanuel”
Matthew connects Jesus’ birth with the prophecy of Isaiah: “The virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel” (Mt 1:23; Is 7:14).
Jesus and Emmanuel are not competing names. Jesus describes what the Child does: he saves. Emmanuel reveals who he is: God with us.
God saves us by coming to dwell among us. Salvation is not delivered from a distance. The Son enters our history, assumes our nature, shares our suffering, and offers himself for us.
The name Jesus reveals his mission; Emmanuel reveals the mystery of his presence.
Joseph’s Obedience
“When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him”
Joseph’s response is immediate. He does not demand further signs or seek an easier alternative.
His obedience demonstrates that genuine faith involves action. He believes God’s word by taking Mary into his home and accepting responsibility for Jesus.
At the beginning of a new year, we should imitate Joseph by translating prayer into obedience. It is not enough to ask for divine guidance if we refuse to act upon it.
“He took his wife into his home”
Joseph protects Mary’s dignity and provides a home for Jesus. His obedience creates the human environment in which the Savior will be welcomed and raised.
A Christian home is formed whenever family members make room for Jesus, accept one another, protect the vulnerable, and obey God together.
“He named him Jesus”
Joseph completes the command given by the angel. His act of naming becomes an act of faith.
When Joseph speaks the name Jesus, he publicly accepts the Child and proclaims him as Savior. His fatherhood is expressed through obedience, protection, work, and self-giving love.
The Circumcision of Jesus
“When eight days were completed”
The eighth day held covenantal and symbolic significance. According to the command given to Abraham, every male child was to be circumcised on the eighth day (Gn 17:12).
The eighth day later acquired Christian significance as a symbol of new creation. Christ rose on the day after the Sabbath—the first day of a new week and, symbolically, the eighth day. The Child circumcised on the eighth day would inaugurate a new creation through his Resurrection.
“He was circumcised”
Circumcision was the physical sign of God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants. It marked membership in Israel, the covenant people.
Jesus had no sin and needed no purification. Yet he humbly accepted circumcision because he entered fully into Israel’s covenant history. St. Paul teaches that Christ was “born under the law” to redeem those under the Law (Gal 4:4–5).
The Lawgiver submits to the Law. The One through whom the covenant promises would be fulfilled receives the covenant’s sign.
Jesus’ circumcision confirms the reality of the Incarnation. He did not merely appear human; he possessed a genuine human body and entered the concrete religious and cultural life of Israel.
The First Shedding of Christ’s Blood
Christian tradition has seen the circumcision as the first shedding of Jesus’ blood. Only eight days after his birth, the Child begins to reveal that salvation will involve sacrifice.
This event should not be separated from the Cross. The blood shed in circumcision anticipates the blood poured out at Calvary and offered sacramentally in the Holy Eucharist.
Jesus’ whole life is directed toward obedient self-offering. Bethlehem, the circumcision, the Presentation, Baptism, public ministry, Last Supper, Cross, and Resurrection form one saving mystery.
The Covenant with Abraham
God commanded Abraham to circumcise every male as a sign of the everlasting covenant (Gn 17:9–14). The covenant included promises of descendants, land, blessing, and a special relationship with God.
Circumcision expressed belonging. The person marked by the covenant was called to live in fidelity to God.
Jesus does not abolish God’s promises to Israel. He fulfills them and opens the blessing promised through Abraham to all nations.
The salvation announced in the name Jesus begins within Israel’s covenant history and extends to the whole human family.
The New Covenant and the Circumcision of the Heart
The prophets taught that external circumcision must be accompanied by an interior conversion. Moses called Israel to circumcise the heart and no longer remain stiff-necked (Dt 10:16). Jeremiah repeated the call to remove resistance from the heart (Jer 4:4).
St. Paul teaches that the true circumcision is spiritual and takes place within the heart through the Holy Spirit (Rom 2:28–29). He does not condemn the Jewish covenantal practice. Rather, he insists that outward signs must correspond to inward fidelity.
The Council of Jerusalem determined that Gentile converts did not need to receive circumcision in order to become Christians (Acts 15). Salvation comes through the grace of Jesus Christ rather than through adopting the complete ritual law of Israel.
For Christians, Baptism is the sacramental entrance into the New Covenant. Through Baptism, we are united with the death and Resurrection of Christ, freed from sin, and incorporated into his Body.
The Meaning of the Name Jesus
The name Jesus expresses several interconnected truths.
Jesus is the Savior
The name proclaims that salvation comes from God. Humanity cannot rescue itself from sin and death by knowledge, technology, wealth, or political power.
Jesus saves from sin
His mission reaches the deepest human problem. He forgives sins, restores communion with the Father, and gives sanctifying grace.
Jesus fulfills God’s promises
He is the Messiah promised to Israel, the Son of David, and the blessing intended for all nations.
Jesus brings God near
He is Emmanuel, God with us. Salvation is communion with a divine Person.
Jesus possesses authority
The Apostles preach, heal, forgive, and confront evil in his name because the risen Lord acts through them.
Jesus is the only Savior
St. Peter proclaims that there is no other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved (Acts 4:12).
The Power of the Holy Name
The power of Jesus’ name does not function like magic. Its power comes from the divine person whom the name identifies.
To invoke the name of Jesus with faith is to turn toward the crucified and risen Lord. It expresses trust in his presence, authority, mercy, and saving power.
The early Church preached in the name of Jesus. Peter healed the man unable to walk by invoking “the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean” (Acts 3:6). The Apostles rejoiced that they were found worthy to suffer for his name (Acts 5:41).
St. Paul teaches that God highly exalted Jesus and bestowed upon him the name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil 2:9–11).
Reverence for the Name of Jesus
The Second Commandment prohibits using God’s name in vain. The Holy Name must therefore be spoken with faith and reverence.
Using the name of Jesus carelessly, mockingly, angrily, or as profanity contradicts the respect due to the Savior.
Christians should develop the habit of invoking the Holy Name in prayer, temptation, danger, suffering, decision-making, gratitude, and praise.
The short prayer “Jesus, I trust in you” can become a powerful expression of surrender. The traditional Jesus Prayer—“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”—unites confession of faith with repentance.
Devotion to the Holy Name
Devotion to the name of Jesus is rooted in Scripture and developed throughout Christian tradition. The Eastern Churches have particularly treasured the repeated invocation of Jesus’ name in contemplative prayer.
In the Western Church, saints such as St. Bernardine of Siena and St. John Capistrano promoted devotion to the Holy Name. St. Bernardine used the monogram IHS, representing the first letters of the Greek name of Jesus, as a sign of devotion and reconciliation.
The Litany of the Holy Name praises Jesus through titles drawn from Scripture and asks for deliverance from sin, pride, impurity, hatred, and spiritual danger.
Authentic devotion to the Holy Name must lead to obedience. Jesus warned that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the Kingdom, but only the one who does the Father’s will (Mt 7:21).
Jewish Historical and Religious Context
Circumcision was practiced among several ancient peoples, but in Israel it possessed a unique covenantal meaning. It was the sign established between God and Abraham’s descendants.
Circumcision took place on the eighth day, even when that day fell on the Sabbath. It marked a male child’s incorporation into the covenant community.
The naming of the child was often associated with circumcision. Biblical names frequently expressed identity, circumstances of birth, gratitude to God, or a divine mission.
Joshua, whose name is related to Jesus, led Israel into the Promised Land. Jesus brings the definitive salvation and leads humanity toward eternal communion with God.
The circumcision of Jesus must be interpreted with respect for Judaism. It demonstrates that Jesus was truly Jewish and belonged fully to Israel’s covenant people. Christian salvation is rooted in God’s faithful dealings with Israel.
The Feast in the Syro-Malabar Church
The Syro-Malabar liturgical calendar celebrates January 1 as the Holy Name of Jesus and the Circumcision of Our Lord. The readings connect the feast with the covenant of Abraham, God’s calling of his people by name, the exaltation of Jesus’ name, and the Gospel account of his naming.
The feast stands within the Season of Nativity, when the Church reflects upon the manifestation of the incarnate Son within human history.
The Syro-Malabar observance invites the faithful to begin the civil year under Jesus’ saving name. It unites the remembrance of the Old Covenant with the fulfillment brought by Christ and directs believers toward the New Covenant celebrated in the Holy Qurbana. Syro-Malabar Liturgical Calendar
The Feast in the Universal Church
January 1 is the eighth day, or octave day, of Christmas. The Roman Rite celebrates it principally as the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, while its Gospel also recalls that the Child was circumcised and named Jesus.
The older Roman calendar emphasized the Circumcision of the Lord on this day. The present Roman celebration maintains the biblical connection between Mary’s divine motherhood, Jesus’ circumcision, and the conferral of his name.
Other Eastern Christian traditions also commemorate the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus on January 1. Thus, the event belongs to the shared heritage of Eastern and Western Christianity.
Pope Benedict XVI explained that God himself chose the name Jesus before the Child’s conception and that the name was formally conferred at his circumcision. Homily of January 1, 2013
Lessons from St. Joseph
1. Unite righteousness with compassion
Joseph respected God’s Law without seeking Mary’s humiliation.
2. Discern before acting
He did not respond impulsively to circumstances he could not understand.
3. Allow God to correct your plans
Joseph surrendered his reasonable human decision when God revealed a greater purpose.
4. Do not allow fear to prevent obedience
He accepted Mary and Jesus despite the uncertainty and responsibility involved.
5. Express faith through action
Joseph obeyed immediately and provided a home for the Savior.
6. Accept responsibility for those entrusted to you
By naming Jesus, Joseph embraced legal fatherhood and lifelong service.
Lessons from the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus
1. Jesus fulfills God’s covenant promises
His mission is rooted in God’s faithful relationship with Israel.
2. Obedience is central to salvation history
Mary and Joseph faithfully fulfilled God’s command, and Jesus submitted to the Law.
3. The Incarnation is real
Jesus possessed a genuine human body and entered a particular family, culture, and religious tradition.
4. Salvation requires the shedding of Christ’s blood
The circumcision anticipates the complete offering of Jesus upon the Cross.
5. External religious signs require interior conversion
Christians must seek the circumcision of the heart through repentance and the Holy Spirit.
6. The name Jesus reveals the heart of the Gospel
God has come among us to save us from sin.
Application to Christian Life Today
At the beginning of the year, individuals and families should enthrone the name of Jesus within their homes and hearts. This means more than displaying a sacred image. It means allowing Christ to govern family prayer, relationships, finances, decisions, entertainment, and moral choices.
Parents should teach children to pronounce the names of Jesus, Mary, and the saints with reverence. They should correct the careless use of sacred names while explaining the love and holiness those names represent.
When facing temptation, we can invoke the name of Jesus. When anxious, we can place our confidence in his name. When making decisions, we can ask whether our choice honors his name. When receiving blessings, we can thank him by name.
Christians also bear the name of Christ. The word “Christian” means one who belongs to Christ. Our conduct either honors or dishonors the name we carry.
The feast asks whether our words, business practices, relationships, online behavior, and treatment of others make the name of Jesus attractive and credible.
Beginning the Year in the Name of Jesus
The first day of the year is an opportunity to place the unknown future beneath Christ’s authority.
We do not know what the year will bring, but Jesus remains the same. His name is greater than every fear, temptation, failure, illness, and uncertainty.
Beginning the year in his name means praising him for the gift of time, asking forgiveness for sin, seeking his guidance, and resolving to obey his will.
Our resolutions become Christian when they are made not merely for self-improvement but for closer communion with Jesus and more faithful service to others.
Eucharistic Connection
The blood first shed at the circumcision anticipates the blood of the New Covenant. At the Last Supper, Jesus took the cup and declared it to be his blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.
In the Holy Qurbana, the Church sacramentally participates in the one sacrifice of Christ. The Child named Jesus because he would save his people from their sins is present as the crucified and risen Savior.
The priest celebrates the sacred mysteries in the name and person of Christ. The prayers of the Church rise to the Father through Jesus Christ, and the faithful receive salvation through communion with him.
Holy Communion unites us with the person whose name we invoke. Therefore, reverence for Jesus’ name must be joined with reverence for his Eucharistic presence.
Having received him, we are sent to make his saving name known through faithful lives, charity, forgiveness, and missionary witness.
Messages and Call to Conversion
- Begin the year by placing yourself, your family, and your plans under the Holy Name of Jesus.
- Revere the name of Jesus and never use it carelessly or disrespectfully.
- Recognize that Jesus came primarily to save humanity from sin.
- Seek forgiveness through sincere repentance and the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
- Imitate Joseph by combining righteousness, compassion, discernment, and obedience.
- Allow God to correct your plans and redirect your future.
- Remember that you bear Christ’s name through Baptism.
- Make your conduct worthy of the Christian name.
- Invoke the name of Jesus during temptation, anxiety, danger, and suffering.
- Allow external religious observance to produce an interior circumcision of the heart.
- Honor the Jewish roots of Jesus and God’s continuing faithfulness to his promises.
- Receive the saving Lord reverently in the Holy Eucharist and proclaim him through your life.
Conclusion
On the eighth day after his birth, the Son of God entered visibly into the covenant of Abraham and formally received the name chosen by the Father. Mary and Joseph obeyed, the Child shed his blood, and the saving mission announced by heaven was proclaimed on earth: “You shall name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
The circumcision reveals the humility of Christ, the reality of his humanity, his solidarity with Israel, and his obedience to the Father. The name Jesus reveals his mission as the one Savior of the world.
Joseph spoke the name in obedience. Mary treasured the name in maternal love. The Apostles preached it with courage. Martyrs suffered for it. Saints invoked it in prayer. The Church continues to proclaim it to every nation.
As we begin the year, we do not place our confidence in uncertain predictions or human strength. We begin in the name of Jesus. In that name we find forgiveness for the past, grace for the present, and hope for the future.
Outline for Preachers
- January 1 as the eighth day after Christmas
- Syro-Malabar observance of the Holy Name and Circumcision
- Matthew’s account from Joseph’s perspective
- Luke’s account of circumcision and naming
- Meaning of the Hebrew name Yeshua: “The Lord saves”
- Jesus and Emmanuel: mission and divine identity
- Joseph’s crisis, compassion, discernment, and obedience
- Joseph naming Jesus as an act of legal fatherhood
- Jewish covenantal meaning of circumcision
- Jesus truly born under the Law
- First shedding of Christ’s blood and anticipation of Calvary
- Covenant with Abraham fulfilled in Christ
- Circumcision of the heart and Christian Baptism
- Scriptural power and proper invocation of Jesus’ name
- Devotion to the Holy Name in Eastern and Western traditions
- January 1 in the Syro-Malabar and Roman traditions
- Beginning the new year in the name of Jesus
- Eucharistic connection with the blood of the New Covenant
- Call to conversion: reverence, repentance, obedience, and Christian witness
