Tuesday of Holy Week

 Lectionary: 258

Hear me, O islands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The LORD called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow of his arm.

Isaiah's Second Servant Song describes the Lord's mission; it is his identity and purpose; and is suggests his name, Jesus, "because he will save his people from their sins." (Mt 1:21)

That his name, his identity, and his mission all amount to the same thing sounds alien to most Americans. Most of us were given our names at birth; and then, somewhere between kindergarten and several graduations, we developed identity and selected a profession. Or we may have settled for a job and, perhaps, a career. 

Some of us hoped that these choices did not affect our identities, saying, "I may be a lawyer, doctor, or accountant but I don't act like it!" But we probably do anyway. We might go to great lengths to not play the part, but people who know us well know the difference. When I showed up at the breakfast table wearing bright yellow Bermuda shorts and a matching shirt, my mother exclaimed, "It's perfect! No one will ever guess that you're a priest!" I had not thought of that when I put them on and prepared to go to Mass with her. (That's a long time ago now.) 

Jesus knew who he was from the beginning although he seemed to live a hidden life for a while. His enemies certainly denied who he was from the outset. Some remembered his origins in Nazareth and wondered, "Where did he get all this? Aren't his brothers and sisters here among us?" Saint Mark says his own family, hearing of both his growing reputation and the opposition he was meeting, decided to come and take him home. Perhaps they intended to lock him in the cellar until he quit acting so strangely. 

Since the day he ascended into heaven within sight of his disciples, the world has tried to redefine his mission and purpose, despite allowing him to keep the name Jesus. The Church has recognized these heresies and consistently combated them. 

"He cannot deny himself." Saint Paul said of Jesus to his disciples Timothy:

If we are unfaithful
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny himself.

Saint John of Patmos speaks mysteriously  in the Book of Revelation of hidden names. First, Saint John alludes to Isaiah 62:2-4: 

Nations shall behold your vindication,

and all kings your glory;

You shall be called by a new name

bestowed by the mouth of the LORD.

You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,

a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

No more shall you be called “Forsaken,”

nor your land called “Desolate,”

But you shall be called “My Delight is in her,”

and your land “Espoused.”

Isaiah 65:24-15 also speaks to the wicked of a cursed name, and about their relationship with the just who have sacred names: 

My servants shall shout for joy of heart,

But you shall cry out for grief of heart,

and howl for anguish of spirit.

You will leave your name for a curse to my chosen ones

when the Lord GOD slays you,

and calls his servants by another name.

John of Patmas writes to us, 

‘“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I shall give... a white amulet upon which is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it." 

and:

"The victor I will make into a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again. On him I will inscribe the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God, as well as my new name."

Clearly, this name, although it seems unknown to our conscious minds, is known by the Lord and by the hearts who love Him. And, like Jesus, we cannot deny who we are in God's sight.