Virgo Potens

FEAST of the HOLY NAME of JESUS VESPERS Jesu dulcis memoria Jesu! the very thought of Thee With sweetness fills my breast; But sweeter far thy face to see, And in thy presence rest. Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame, Nor can the memory find, A sweeter sound than thy blest name, O Saviour of mankind ! O hope of every contrite heart, O joy of all the meek, To those who fall, how kind Thou art! How good to those who seek! But what to those who find? ah! this Nor tongue nor pen can shew: The love of Jesus , what it is, None but his lov’d ones know. Jesu! our only joy be Thou, As Thou our prize wilt be; Jesu! be Thou our glory now, And through eternity. ~ Edward Caswall, M.A., translator, Lyra Catholica (1849)

Month of the Holy Name of Jesus ~ January 2nd Chapter 1 The Wonders of the Holy Name (continued) It is so powerful, so certain, that it never fails to produce in our souls the most wonderful results. It consoles the saddest heart and makes the weakest sinner strong. It obtains for us all kinds favors and graces, spiritual and temporal. Two things we must do. First of all, we must understand clearly the meaning and value of the Name of Jesus. Secondly, we must get into the habit of saying it devoutly, frequently, hundreds and hundreds of times every day. Far from being a burden, it will be an immense joy and consolation. ~ Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P., The Wonders of the Holy Name (1946)

Q. What is the meaning of IHS? And, what is this: ☧? A. IHS is a monogram of the Holy Name of Our Blessed Lord. From early Christian manuscripts, we know that Jesus was written so in Greek: ΙΗΣΟΥΣ, a phonetic rendering of His Aramaic name, and pronounced IĒSOuS. Linguistically, Our Lord’s name can be traced back through Aramaic and Biblical Hebrew to Paleo-Hebrew, and means ‘to deliver or save.’ From the beginning of Christianity, the name of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, was shorted: IH for Jesus, and XP for Christ. A very familiar symbol called the ‘Chi-Rho’ is formed by shortening ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (Christos) and superimposing the letters XP, resulting in ☧. In the 3rd century, Christians began writing ΙΗΣΟΥΣ using only the first 3 letters, ΙΗΣ. The Greek letter Σ (sigma), is represented in the Roman alphabet by the letter ‘S,’ resulting in the monogram being commonly written as ΙΗS. Praised be Jesus Christ (IHS ☧), now and forever. Amen.

To be said or sung on January 1st, to bless and sanctify the New Year. VENI CREATOR SPÍRITUS Hymn COME, O Creator Spirit! Visit this soul of thine; This heart of thy creating Fill Thou with grace divine. Who Paraclete art call’d! The gift of God above! Pure Unction! holy Fire! And Fount of life and love! Finger of God’s right hand! The Father’s promise true! Who sevenfold bestowest! Who dost the tongue endow! Pour love into our hearts; Our senses touch with light; Make strong our human frailty With thy supernal might. Cast far our deadly Foe; Thy peace in us fulfil; So, Thee before us leading, May we escape each ill. The Father, and the Son, Through Thee may we receive; In Thee, from Both proceeding, Through endless time believe. Praise to the Father be; Praise to the Son who rose; And praise to Thee, blest Spirit ! While age on ages flows. Lyra Catholica: Containing All the Breviary and Missal Hymns. Edward Caswall, M.A., translator. (1849)

Month of the Holy Name of Jesus ~ January 1st Chapter 1 The Wonders of the Holy Name We have been hearing and have been repeating from childhood the Holy Name of Jesus, but alas, many, very many, have no adequate idea of the great wonder this Holy Name! What do you know, Dear Reader, about the Name of Jesus? You know that it is a holy name and that you must bow your head reverently when you say it. That is very little. It is as if you looked at a closed book and merely glanced at the title on the cover. You know nothing of all the beautiful thoughts in the book itself. Even so, when you pronounce the Name of Jesus you know very little of the treasures hidden in it. This Divine Name is in truth a mine of riches; it is the fount of the highest holiness and the secret of the greatest happiness that a man can hope to enjoy on this earth. Read and see. ~ Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P., The Wonders of the Holy Name (1946)

2024 January ~ Month of the Holy Name of Jesus ~ Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P., The Wonders of the Holy Name (1946)

⭐️ Thank you for visiting Virgo Potens this year! Tomorrow, on January 1st, we will we will begin our study of ‘The Holy Name of Jesus’, under the guidance of Fr. Paul O’Sullivan O.P., with excerpts from The Wonders of the Holy Name (1946). May God bless you! Wishing you a Blessed and Holy New Year! ⭐️

CHRISTMAS HYMN Sing, my tongue, the Saviour's glory, ⁠Sing with joy and holy mirth; Tell aloud the famous story ⁠Of His spotless virgin birth: How He comes, an infant stranger, ⁠Here to dwell with us on earth. Now the long-expected fulness ⁠Of the sacred time draws nigh; Now for us the Word eternal ⁠Leaves his Father's throne on high; From a virgin's womb appearing, ⁠Cloth'd in our mortality. All within a lowly manger, ⁠Lo, a helpless Babe He lies; See, His gentle virgin Mother ⁠Lull to sleep His infant cries, While the limbs of God incarnate ⁠Round with swathing bands she ties. Blessing, honour everlasting ⁠To th' immortal Deity; To the Father, Son, and Spirit, ⁠Equal adoration be. Prais'd be Thou through earth and heaven, ⁠Sempiternal Unity ~ Edward Caswall, translator Catholic Hymns. Henry Formby, editor. (1860)

Month of the Immaculate Conception ~ December 31st The Holy Mother (continued) 3. What are Mary's thoughts as she sits watching there? She has no thought save of God. She is absorbed in Him. The hours pass like minutes, they are a sort of anticipation of Paradise. She sees her God face to face, and though His glory is veiled under the robe of flesh, yet Mary can pierce through it as none else ever could, and can bask in the Divinity which it conceals. O God, help me to realize now Thy presence when Thou art veiled under the sacramental species. ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the Immaculate Conception ~ December 31st The Holy Mother (continued) 2. Yet Mary has a still greater claim to our homage, a more fruitful source of blessedness even than the divine maternity. Her unswerving obedience to the inspirations of God is declared by Our Lord Himself to be a still higher privilege. "Yea, rather blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it." If only we realized the blessedness of unswerving obedience, how different our lot would be! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Month of the Immaculate Conception ~ December 31st The Holy Mother By the side of the manger where the Infant lies, His Mother is watching. Who is she? 1. A poor and humble maiden, but nevertheless the Mother of God. The Mother of God! How can this be? How can the Eternal, Infinite God have a human mother? Yet so it is; Mary has a privilege which raises her immeasurably above the highest of the seraphim. It makes her more perfect in her likeness to God than is possible to any other creature. If, then, we honor the saints and angels, how much more should we honor God's own Mother! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Jesu Redemptor omnium Jesu, Redeemer of the world! Who, ere the earliest dawn of light, Wast from eternal ages born, Immense in glory as in might; Immortal Hope of all mankind! In whom the Father’s face we see ; Hear Thou the prayers thy people pour This day throughout the world to Thee. Remember, O Creator Lord! That in the Virgin’s sacred womb Thou wast conceiv’d, and of her flesh Didst our mortality assume. This ever-blest recurring day Its witness bears, that all alone, From thy own Father’s bosom forth, To save the world Thou camest down. O Day! to which the seas and sky, And earth and Heav’n, glad welcome sing; O Day! which heal’d our misery, And brought on earth salvation’s King. We too, O Lord, who have been clean'sd In thy own fount of blood divine, Offer the tribute of sweet song, On this blest natal day of thine. O Jesu! born of Virgin bright, Immortal glory be to Thee; Praise to the Father infinite, And Holy Ghost eternally. Lyra Catholica: Containing All the Breviary and Missal Hymns. Edward Caswall, M.A., translator. (1849)

Jesu Redemptor omnium Hymn Christmas-Day Vespers and Matins

Month of the Immaculate Conception ~ December 30th The New-born Child (continued) 3. He teaches us the true dignity of self-abasement. God could not do anything unworthy of Himself when clad in human flesh. It therefore was no disparagement to the divine honor that He should thus infinitely condescend. Nay, it proved that the greatest possible likeness to God is attained by the most complete humiliation of self. How little I have learned to practise this lesson! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

Memento rerum Conditor Hymn REMEMBER, O Creator Lord! That in the Virgin’s sacred womb Thou wast conceiv’d, and of her flesh Didst our mortality assume. Mother of grace, O Mary blest! To thee, sweet fount of love, we fly; Shield us through life, and take us hence To thy dear bosom when we die. O Jesu! born of Virgin bright, Immortal glory be to Thee; Praise to the Father infinite, And Holy Ghost eternally. ~ Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary Sung at Terce, Sext, None and Compline. Lyra Catholica: Containing All the Breviary and Missal Hymns. Edward Caswall, M.A., translator. (1849)

Month of the Immaculate Conception ~ December 29th The New-born Child (continued) 2. He teaches us never to judge by appearances. If we had been told that God had come to dwell on earth, would not the stable of Bethlehem have been the last place where we should have sought Him? In how many a humble cottage there may still be found saints more dear to God than even those who have a world wide repute for their holiness and virtue ! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)

2. Novena to the Magi in Anticipation of the Epiphany (continued) Prayer O Holy Magi, thou wert living in continual expectation of the rising of the Star of Jacob, which would announce the birth of the true Son of justice. Obtain for me an increase of faith and charity, the grace to live in continual hope of beholding, one day, the light of heavenly glory and eternal joy, and (here mention your request again). Amen. Prayer to the Infant Jesus Infant Jesus, meek and mild, Look upon me as Thy little child. Look with pity upon me; Suffer me to come to Thee. Heart of Jesus, I adore Thee. Heart of Mary, I implore Thee. Heart of Joseph, pure and just. In these three hearts, I put my trust. Help us, Joseph, in our early strife, ever to lead a pure and blameless life. O Holy Magi, pray for us. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory Be.

Novena to the Magi in Anticipation of the Epiphany [December 28th (the Feast of the Holy Innocents) ~ January 5th (the Vigil of the Epiphany).] Introductory Prayer I salute Thee, O divine Heart, with the three Magi who offered their homage to Thee. Regard me, I beseech Thee, with the same love and kindness with which Thou didst receive them, that I may offer with my heart, gold, frankincense and myrrh; that is to say, my intellect, my memory and my will; in complete subjection to Thee; in faith, hope, charity; in thought, word and deed. Accept my offering. Accept my heart, and grant that I may live and die thanking Thee for the invaluable favor of being called to the true faith. Hence, I beg of Thee, by the joy which filled Thy heart, when Thou didst see the first of the Gentiles at Thy feet, to hear my prayer and grant the request I make to Thee in this novena (here mention your request). Amen. (continued below)

Month of the Immaculate Conception ~ December 28th The New-born Child In the cradle before us lies the new-born Infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes and laid in the manger. Let us contemplate Him for a few moments and see what lessons He teaches us. 1. He teaches us the unspeakable force of divine charity. How was it possible for the Eternal Word, the co-equal Son of God, to leave the bosom of His Father to clothe Himself with the flesh of sinful man? It seems an almost extravagant act of love, one unworthy of the dignity of God. Yet love puts everything aside except the burning desire to promote the welfare of the loved. The Son of God forgot all else in His divine compassion for us. How dearly He must love us! How great should be our confidence in His love! ~ Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J., The Devout Year (1893)