Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 3, 2026
When eight days were completed for his circumcision,
the child was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel
before he was conceived in the womb.
When the days were completed for their purification
according to the law of Moses,
they took him up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord,
just as it is written in the law of the Lord,
Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,
and to offer the sacrifice of
a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,
in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.
What stands out to me in today’s gospel passage is the line, “The child was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.” Jesus receives a name with intention and purpose, which reminds me of God’s deep love for each of us.
For the past couple of years, my Bible study group has begun January by choosing a word of the year. We reflect on a set of words, then choose one that resonates with us and that we feel called to reflect on. We share our reasons for choosing our words and create keychains to carry them with us throughout the year.
In 2025, I chose the word “transform,” inviting God to work in my heart and guide me toward growth and deeper love. It was amazing to me how often I read this word in an email, saw “transform” flash across a screen, or heard it in a conversation. My word seemed to be everywhere! Did the word show up in my life more often than in the previous years? Most likely not. But was I more aware of and attuned to seeing it? Definitely! “Transform” became a reminder to me to stay attentive to God’s work in my life.
Today’s gospel grounds me in knowing that God already holds a loving purpose for each of us, not just for 2026, but beyond. The naming of Jesus reminds us of God’s great care and how he’s given each of us a unique call. Just as focusing on my word helped me notice it more last year, focusing on God’s plan for us can help us become more aware of his voice in our everyday lives and of the gifts he’s given us.
May we enter into 2026 with an awareness of the love, intention, and purpose that God has for each of us, and may this attentiveness draw us closer and closer to Christ.
Prayer
Jesus, Lamb of God, your prophet John the Baptist testified to you. He saw the Spirit descend and remain upon you! And with zeal he preached that you are the Son of God. Jesus, thank you for sending us prophetic people even in our time, and in our own lives. We ask for the grace to recognize and respond to their words of challenge and hope. Stir up in us this day the gift of your Holy Spirit, that we too may testify that you are the Son of God. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Today’s feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus is another way for the Church to call our attention to Jesus’ identity, and to encourage us to call upon him.
When Gabriel visited Mary, the angel told her, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.” Similarly, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and explained Mary’s virgin conception. “You are to name him Jesus,” the angel told Joseph, “because he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus’ name literally means “savior.” St. Paul writes to the Philippians that “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
St. Bernard of Clairvaux was a great promoter of devotion to the holy name of Jesus. “To speak of it brings to the mind all that the name stands for,” he wrote. “To call on it calms and soothes the heart.”
There are many other references to the power of Jesus’ name in Scriptures. In the Acts of the Apostles, the name of Jesus healed the lame and brought the dead back to life. The holy name is a protection from the devil, who has been conquered by Jesus on the cross and fears his name. We conclude all of our prayers as a Church by praying in the name of Jesus Christ, for he promised that “whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you” (John 16:23).
The emblem or monogram of the holy name of Jesus—the initials IHS—is seen in many places on campus, including on the pedestal of the Statue of the Sacred Heart in front of the Dome. In the Middle Ages, Jesus’ name was written as “Ihesus,” so the monogram IHS contains the (combined) first and last letters of this name. The Jesuits have this monogram as the emblem of their order—it can be seen in the image of St. Ignatius of Loyola from the Basilica shown above.
On this feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, let every knee bend and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!