The anointed name

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to find the resonance between our “name” and our call to live as disciples of “Yeshua”.

Named for action

The reading from Acts introduces a learned teacher named Apollos.

* [18:24, 25] Apollos appears as a preacher who knows the teaching of Jesus in the context of John’s baptism of repentance. Aquila and Priscilla instruct him more fully. He is referred to in 1 Cor 1:12; 3:5–6, 22.1 

Psalm 47 is a hymn calling on the nations to acknowledge universal rule in the name of Israel’s God.

* [Psalm 47] A hymn calling on the nations to acknowledge the universal rule of Israel’s God (Ps 47:2–5) who is enthroned as king over Israel and the nations (Ps 47:6–9).2 

Before Jesus’ Departure in the Gospel of John we hear of the coming of the Advocate and our communion with the Trinity from which we may act in the name of Jesus.

[16:25] See note on Jn 10:6. (* [10:6] Figure of speech: John uses a different word for illustrative speech than the “parable” of the synoptics, but the idea is similar.) Here, possibly a reference to Jn 15:1–16 or Jn 16:21.3 

Mary Lee Brock asks “What’s in a name?” She comments that our names are core to our identity.

The power of a name is a theme in today’s readings.  In Acts we learn about the teachings of Apollos who established from the Scriptures that Christ is Jesus.  And in today’s gospel from John, Jesus is preparing the disciples for the future when he returns to his father.  He teaches that they can pray directly to God in the name of Jesus. He says to the disciples: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.”  What a simple yet profound lesson.
The name Jesus binds us together in our identity and in our humanity.  Naming ourselves as Christians declares our faith. We have a touchstone for our values. 4 

Jewish voice ministries expands on “Yeshua”, the Hebrew word for “Jesus.” The name means “to rescue, to save, or to deliver.”

Don Schwager writes that the Lord Jesus unites us with the Father through the love and power of the Holy Spirit.

Paul the Apostle states that "All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus makes it possible for his disciples to have a new relationship as sons and daughters of God the Father (Romans 8:14-17). No one would have dared to call God his or her Father before this! Because of what Jesus has done for us in offering his life for our redemption we now can boldly and confidently pray to God as our Father in heaven. The presence and action of the Holy Spirit within us is living proof of this new relationship with the Father. Paul the Apostles says that "when we cry, ‘Abba! Father!' it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Romans 8:15-16).5 

The Word Among Us Meditation on Acts 18:23-28 asks “How often have we had to offer feedback or advice—or even correction—to someone?” Perhaps it was an employee at work or a fellow parishioner. Maybe it was one of our children. Whatever our situation, Priscilla and Aquila offer a good model to follow.

For one thing, they treated Apollos with respect and dignity. They didn’t interrupt one of his sermons or rebuke him in public. And neither did they demean him in any way for his lack of clarity. They just quietly “took him aside” and helped him see where his message was missing the mark (Acts 18:26). Maybe they began by focusing on all the good he was doing before steering him in a better direction.6 

Friar Jude Winkler explains the need for Apollos to know how Jesus expands the Baptism of John. Apollos knowledge of Scripture, Alexandrian grammar, and refute of Jewish practices have scholars to propose him as author of the Letter to the Hebrews. Friar Jude corrects our possible misunderstanding of God as a miracle dispenser for those who have the right request format.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, explains how centering prayer roots us in divine love. It is a modernized prayer method based on the intuitive prayer rooted in lectio divina and The Cloud of Unknowing. It is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer—prayer in which we experience the divine’s immanent presence within us.

As Father Thomas Keating emphasizes, the source of centering prayer, as in all methods leading to contemplative prayer, is the indwelling Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The focus of centering prayer is the deepening of our relationship with the living Christ. The effects of centering prayer are ecclesial, as the prayer tends to build communities of faith and bond the members together in mutual friendship and love.7 

Our name, as that connector to our call from God, is a point of entry into prayer that reveals in our life journey the nudges we have received from the Spirit to act in His Name.

References

1	(n.d.). Acts, chapter 18 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 1, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/acts/18
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 47 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 1, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/47
3	(n.d.). John, chapter 16 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved June 1, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/john/16
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved June 1, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Saint Justin, Martyr (Memorial) - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/06/01/
7	(2019, May 26). Meeting Christ Within Us Archives — Center for Action and .... Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://cac.org/themes/meeting-christ-within-us/