What's in a Name?
Overjoyed
Jars of Clay
And often, in the Bible, God steps in and changes a person's name--and in so doing, changes that person forever.
For example, in Genesis we have the story of Jacob. When Jacob was born, he was one of a set of twins--the younger one. When his brother, Esau, was born, Jacob's hand was holding onto his heel, as if trying to pull Esau back in. Because of this, his parents gave him the unfortunate moniker of Jacob, which literally means "One who grasps at the heel", and in a more figurative sense means "subplanter" or "deceiver." And like a self-fulfilling prophecy, Jacob lived up to his namesake--so much so that he tricked his brother out of his rightful inheritance. Jacob, out of fear that his brother would kill him for that, runs away. While he's on the road, he has an encounter with God, who, to make a long story short, sends Jacob home after a 14-odd year hiatus.
On the way back, Jacob is accosted by a stranger who appears out of nowhere and wrestles wtih him. This battle royale goes on all night, and as the day is breaking, Jacob's got the guy in a full-nelson. The man tells Jacob to let him go, but Jacob says, "Not until you bless me." The man asks Jacob what his name is. Jacob, in telling him, is admitting more than his name. He's admitting his character. "I'm deceiver. I'm subplanter. I'm Jacob." The mystery man then says, "No longer are you to be called Jacob, but Israel since you have shown your strength against God and men and have prevailed" (Genesis 32:29). Jacob then asks the man his name, but he says, "Why do you want to know my name?" and then disappears. Jacob realises that this was no man, but he truly had wrestled wtih God, and in the encounter, God changed him. No longer would he be "deceiver", but "Strives with God" or "Prince with God."
In the New Testament, we see a similar story, of a belligerent blowhard of a fisherman named Simon. Like his namesake, he loved to hear himself, and often spoke hastily and without thinking things through. However, Jesus saw promise in him, and made him one of His closest disciples. When on one occasion Jesus asked the disciples an opinion poll of who the people think He is, Simon steps up to bat and says that he believes Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus says that Simon isn't just speaking his own mind, but that God Himself had revealed that to him, and so Jesus gives Simon the new name of Peter, meaning "rock" and raises him to lead the Church that Jesus was founding (Matthew 16:16-18). However, the name alone wasn't enough to change Peter, and in the very next instance, he's back to his non-thinking ways. In fact, the fulness of the new identity didn't come until after Jesus' death and resurrection, on the day of the first Confirmation, when Jesus poured out His Holy Spirit on the Apostles on the feast of Pentecost. It was the power of the Spirit that transformed Simon into the Rock that would lead the Church.
And so goes the Sacrament of Confirmation. God gives His Spirit to us as we choose to follow Him. And that Spirit remakes us. This is why we take the name of a saint, to emulate their relationship with Christ. In a symbolic way, we take a new identity. And that new identity is given to us by God, as St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17,
In the song above, the band Jars of Clay reflects on this reality. God has named us, and called us to something that we often don't live up to. This Name should be a source of joy, but often reminds us of our failure instead. But God's mercy waits, and calls us to continue.
In the identity that He gives us, the identity of being in Christ, there truly is freedom, and we can be overjoyed!
God bless!
Jars of Clay
You name meNames are important. Especially in a biblical sense, names convey a lot about the nature and character of a person. A Jewish person was not named until the 8th day in order that their name would have some special significance to his or her character, or the circumstances surrounding their birth.
Who am I
That I should company with something so divine?
Mercy waits, Overjoyed
Prospect of finding, freeing
Freeing me
Chorus:
Love is the thing this time I'm sure
And I couldn't need you more now
The way that you saw things were so pure
Overjoyed
You name me
Entertain
Thoughts of peace can overcome anything
Mirror spins
Wicked tales
Here lies reflections of
Deceptions of
Chorus
Missing the me from you you gave to me
I don't like the one I have created today
Crossing nameless from the one I've earned
To be the one, the one you gave to me
You name me
Name Me
Finding, freeing me
Chorus
Overjoyed, Overjoyed
And often, in the Bible, God steps in and changes a person's name--and in so doing, changes that person forever.
For example, in Genesis we have the story of Jacob. When Jacob was born, he was one of a set of twins--the younger one. When his brother, Esau, was born, Jacob's hand was holding onto his heel, as if trying to pull Esau back in. Because of this, his parents gave him the unfortunate moniker of Jacob, which literally means "One who grasps at the heel", and in a more figurative sense means "subplanter" or "deceiver." And like a self-fulfilling prophecy, Jacob lived up to his namesake--so much so that he tricked his brother out of his rightful inheritance. Jacob, out of fear that his brother would kill him for that, runs away. While he's on the road, he has an encounter with God, who, to make a long story short, sends Jacob home after a 14-odd year hiatus.
On the way back, Jacob is accosted by a stranger who appears out of nowhere and wrestles wtih him. This battle royale goes on all night, and as the day is breaking, Jacob's got the guy in a full-nelson. The man tells Jacob to let him go, but Jacob says, "Not until you bless me." The man asks Jacob what his name is. Jacob, in telling him, is admitting more than his name. He's admitting his character. "I'm deceiver. I'm subplanter. I'm Jacob." The mystery man then says, "No longer are you to be called Jacob, but Israel since you have shown your strength against God and men and have prevailed" (Genesis 32:29). Jacob then asks the man his name, but he says, "Why do you want to know my name?" and then disappears. Jacob realises that this was no man, but he truly had wrestled wtih God, and in the encounter, God changed him. No longer would he be "deceiver", but "Strives with God" or "Prince with God."
In the New Testament, we see a similar story, of a belligerent blowhard of a fisherman named Simon. Like his namesake, he loved to hear himself, and often spoke hastily and without thinking things through. However, Jesus saw promise in him, and made him one of His closest disciples. When on one occasion Jesus asked the disciples an opinion poll of who the people think He is, Simon steps up to bat and says that he believes Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus says that Simon isn't just speaking his own mind, but that God Himself had revealed that to him, and so Jesus gives Simon the new name of Peter, meaning "rock" and raises him to lead the Church that Jesus was founding (Matthew 16:16-18). However, the name alone wasn't enough to change Peter, and in the very next instance, he's back to his non-thinking ways. In fact, the fulness of the new identity didn't come until after Jesus' death and resurrection, on the day of the first Confirmation, when Jesus poured out His Holy Spirit on the Apostles on the feast of Pentecost. It was the power of the Spirit that transformed Simon into the Rock that would lead the Church.
And so goes the Sacrament of Confirmation. God gives His Spirit to us as we choose to follow Him. And that Spirit remakes us. This is why we take the name of a saint, to emulate their relationship with Christ. In a symbolic way, we take a new identity. And that new identity is given to us by God, as St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17,
"So for anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation: the old order is gone and a new being is there to see."However, so often we can fail to live up to that new name. We can make a name for ourselves, and see ourselves according to that name that we have made. We look in the mirror and see "Stupid" or "Failure" or "Loser." We don't see the New Creation that God has made us.
In the song above, the band Jars of Clay reflects on this reality. God has named us, and called us to something that we often don't live up to. This Name should be a source of joy, but often reminds us of our failure instead. But God's mercy waits, and calls us to continue.
Missing the me from you you gave to meWhen we've earned something less than what God has given, He calls us to cross over to Him, leaving that old order behind and embracing the new creature that He has created--the new creature that is us!
I don't like the one I have created today
Crossing nameless from the one I've earned
To be the one, the one you gave to me
In the identity that He gives us, the identity of being in Christ, there truly is freedom, and we can be overjoyed!
God bless!
Labels: Confirmation, St. Andrew's
posted by Gregory at 3:46 p.m.
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