April 13, 2014: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

“… God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name…” Change your own use of these sacred names if using them has become your way of making a point.

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

Reflection:

Does this reading make you squirm just a bit? Does it remind you of the commandment: “Do not take the name of God in vain?” Sadly, in our society, people seem to use the name of God or the name of Jesus to emphasize a point, to express frustration and even disgust. Even very young children fall into this habit because they hear adults talking that way.

Action:

Change your own use of these sacred names if using them has become your way of making a point. Choose another word to express your feelings, like “sassafras” or “pickles” or “cheesecake.”