“His name was called Jesus, the name given Him by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” God greatly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend. From the very beginning, heaven revealed who this Child is: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” The name Jesus means “God saves,” for salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb. In the giving of His holy name, we are already taught that this Child has come not merely to live among us, but to redeem us.

On this day, we also see the work of redemption begin in the shedding of His Blood. At His circumcision, the Precious Blood of the Savior touches the earth for the first time. One single drop would have been sufficient to bring about the full fruits of salvation, yet He would later choose to pour out all of it upon the Cross. Here we glimpse the terrible power of that Blood, before which all the demons of hell recoil in fear and hatred. Soon after this event, Herod would order the slaughter of all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity two years old and under, as darkness raged against the Light newly manifested in the world.

Because of this mystery, Our Lord Jesus Christ transforms human suffering. Every drop of blood, every sorrow, every ache and pain freely offered is received by the Father. As Saint Paul teaches, “In my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of His body, which is the Church.” United to Christ, our sufferings are no longer empty or meaningless; they become redemptive. When we freely accept and offer them, the Father receives them in union with His Son, as though they were the sufferings of Christ Himself. As the prophet foretold, “Surely He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows.” Because of His Passion, our suffering is transformed.

Let us therefore unite all of our sufferings with His, asking that He transform us and use all that we offer for the salvation of souls redeemed by Him