9. You Have a Name

Actress Shannyn Sossaman and son,
Audio Science

Singers Beyoncé and Jay-Z and daughter,
Blue Ivy

Toni Braxton, with sons
Denim and Diezel



 

I love names! It always interests me to find out what a person's confirmation name is, or how they got their birth name, why they chose their religious name (i.e. if they are a nun or brother), or why a parent chooses a particular name for their child.

In Biblical times, names had great significance. They were used to describe the birth of the child, to convey different aspects of the person, to carry on a family name, or even to proclaim God’s prophetic message.

A few good examples:
Moses = means “draw out”. Moses was “drawn out” of the Nile River by Pharoah’s daughter.
Samuel = means “God has heard”. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, was barren. She prayed many years and finally God “heard” her prayer and gave her Samuel.
Hannah = means “Favor, grace”. God favored Hannah. Incidentally, Hannah was also the favored wife of her husband (he had two).
Isaac = means “laughter”. Isaac’s mother laughed when she was told she would conceive in her old age.

And a few….others:
Nahor = means “snorting”
Esau = means “hairy”
Nimrod = means “rebel”
Hosea the prophet’s children were named Lo-ruhama (“Not-pitied”) and Lo-ammi (“Not-my-people”)

In other words, a person’s name contained their identity and/or their mission. Sometimes people’s names were even changed to indicate a new identity or a new mission.
For example:
Abram à Abraham
Jacob à Israel
Sarai à Sarah
Simon à Peter
Saulà Paul
And don’t worry, “Not-pitied” was changed to “Pitied” and “Not-my-people” changed to “My-People”

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         Dwayne JohnsonàThe Rock                                                                       Eldrick tont WoodsàTiger Woods

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So what’s in your name?  What does it mean? Where did it come from? What’s your story?

Sometimes it’s fun consider the origin of your name. Does your name reflect who you are? Do you wear it well? Is it something you can be proud of?

Your name is an important part of your identity. It is how you are called, how you are remembered. Hopefully, your name is only a constant reminder to you of good things – how much you are loved, the great qualities you have, the family you’ve been blessed to be a part of, or some family member or holy man or woman that you can learn more about and model your life after.

But maybe your parents gave you a name like Dweeb or Fungus or Man-with-Pimples, or maybe your family name (or history) is something like Footlicker or Pooperscooper, or maybe your classmates or coworkers have assigned you a name you are not so happy with, and so through no fault of your own your name evokes laughter or judgment rather than respect or admiration. Maybe it makes you feel less than what you are truly worth, beneath your true identity. When you believe a lie about yourself, you will act accordingly. When you do not really know who you are, you will not really know how to act.

IDENTITY (noun): the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.

What is your true identity? Where does it come from?

“Christ, the final Adam, by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear.” (Pope John Paul II, Guadium et spes, 22)

Whether you are happy with your given name or not, His is the Name above all other names.  

Jesus = from the Hebrew Yeshua, meaning “God saves.”

God saves. It’s what He does. It’s His Name.
Jesus Christ came to save us from our sin, not in some abstract way or in a one-time event, but in our everyday lives. He wants to liberate us from our sinful behaviors and tendencies, our judgments, our addictions, our unforgiveness and resentment, our disordered desires and attachments, etc. He wants to! It’s His mission. It’s His identity. It’s His Name!
(Watch this homily if you have time.)

In fact, He is called by many names. Check out this list. No matter what your given name is, you can lay claim to power of the Name of Jesus, by faith and by prayer. And He wants you to! He wants to be for you everything His name signifies and proclaims – Deliverer, Savior, Redeemer, Lover, Lord... As Scripture says: “To all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the power to become children of God” (John 1:12).

If you are already baptized, you share in a unique way in the identity and mission of Christ. You are now Christian - a “follower of Christ”. Your name has been changed, your identity substantially altered. And when you know who you are, you will know how to act.