FOR THE SAKE OF THE NAME

 

There are names that people of every race and culture simply never forget. They are names that stand for great, magnanimous or heroic deeds done by individuals in the history of peoples and nations. Whole populations rally behind such names; they find common cause and common ground all because of the names, and they muster enough strength and courage because of the same.

I remember as a child how my father used to tell me about great names in our small town, Mendez, Cavite. To date, I still have not forgotten those names: the founder of the town, the first town mayor, names of prominent individuals such as the Aure brothers, who cut out, or at least dreamt, of a bright future for our small fledgling town as it began taking baby steps and it weaned itself away from its mother town, Alfonso.

Today, the first reading speaks about the name “above every other name.” We know that biblically speaking, the name stands for the person. To speak of The Name, therefore, is to speak about God, whose name in the Old Testament tradition is unutterable. Those few names I remember who plotted out our small town’s future did not exactly find everything slick and easy. They sure suffered. They paid dearly for their vision. And all this on account of a dream.

But in the case of the apostles, they suffered on account of The Name — on account of their Lord, God and Master. The famous Gamaliel himself tried to dissuade them from “speaking in the name of Jesus,” but despite the flogging and the warning, we are told that “they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus.” Unlike in my case, the apostles did not just get to hear about a great name passed on for posterity. They did not just receive a quick glance at History for Dummies. They knew The Name first hand. They lived with Him, suffered and even died with Him, as Peter and James eventually did. They “knew Him in whom they believed” … and did everything “for the sake of the Name!”  Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

Reflection Question:

How do I want people to remember me when they hear my name long after I’m gone?

 

Lord, You gave me my name. At the end of my life, may I be worthy enough to see You face to face and thank You for it.

 

St. Lucius of Cyrene, pray for us.