Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Profession of Faith 109 432 The name “Jesus” signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son, made man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings salvation, and henceforth all can invoke his name, for Jesus united himself to all men through his Incarnation, 23 so that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 24 433 The name of the Savior God was invoked only once in the year by the high priest in atonement for the sins of Israel, after he had sprinkled the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies with the sacri- ficial blood. The mercy seat was the place of God’s presence. 25 When St. Paul speaks of Jesus whom “God put forward as an expiation by his blood,” he means that in Christ’s humanity “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself.” 26 434 Jesus’ Resurrection glorifies the name of the Savior God, for from that time on it is the name of Jesus that fully manifests the supreme power of the “name which is above every name.” 27 The evil spirits fear his name; in his name his disciples perform mir­ acles, for the Father grants all they ask in this name. 28 435 The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer. All liturgical prayers conclude with the words “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Hail Mary reaches its high point in the words “blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” The Eastern prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, says: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Many Christians, such as St. Joan of Arc, have died with the one word “Jesus” on their lips. II. C hrist 436 The word “Christ” comes from the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah, which means “anointed.” It became the name proper to Jesus only because he accomplished perfectly the divine mission that “Christ” signifies. In effect, in Israel those consecrated to God for a mission that he gave were anointed in his name. This was the case for kings, for priests and, in rare instances, for proph- ets. 29 This had to be the case all the more so for the Messiah whom 23 Cf. Jn 3:18; Acts 2:21; 5:41; 3 Jn 7; Rom 10:6-13. 24 Acts 4:12; cf. 9:14; Jas 2:7. 25 Cf. Ex 25:22; Lev 16:2,15-16; Num 7:89; Sir 50:20; Heb 9:5, 7. 26 Rom 3:25; 2 Cor 5:19. 27 Phil 2:9-10; cf. Jn 12:28. 28 Cf. Acts 16:16-18; 19:13-16; Mk 16:17: Jn 15:16. 29 Cf. Ex 29:7; Lev 8:12; 1 Sam 9:16; 10:1; 16:1,12-13; 1 Kings 1:39; 19:16. 589, 2666 389 161 615 2812 2614 2667-2668 2676 690, 695