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Dear
Cathedral Community,
“Eternal
Father, you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be
the sign of our salvation.”
This
prayer draws us to the heart of our faith: that God’s saving love is
not distant or abstract, but personal, embodied, and spoken aloud in
a name. The name Jesus, meaning “God saves”, is a declaration that
God has chosen to dwell among us, to know our struggles from the
inside, and to bring healing to the world through love rather than
force.
Psalm 8
expands our vision even further. As the psalmist gazes at the
vastness of the heavens, the moon and the stars set in their courses,
he is overcome not by insignificance, but by wonder. “What are human
beings that you are mindful of them?” And yet, God answers by
crowning humanity with glory and honor, entrusting us with care for
creation and one another. In the face of such immensity, God still
knows us, values us, and calls us into meaningful relationship.
The holy
name of Jesus holds together these two truths: the majesty of God and
the intimacy of God. The One whose name is exalted in
all the earth chooses to be known in vulnerability, mercy, and
self-giving love. When we speak the name of Jesus, we are naming
God’s commitment to stand with the suffering, to restore dignity to
the forgotten, and to reconcile all things in love.
As a
community, we pray that the love of Christ would be planted deeply in
every heart, not as a passing sentiment, but as a living root that
shapes how we speak, how we act, and how we care for one another. May
the holy name of Jesus guide us into humility, compassion, and
faithful witness, so that our lives reflect the saving love we
proclaim.
“O Lord
our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth.”
Amen.
Grace
and peace,
Tim+
The
Rev. Timothy M. Kingsley
Provost,
Saint Mark's Episcopal Cathedral
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