The Name That is Above All Names . . .and Doors, Gates, etc.

This is one of the Holy Name of Jesus mongrams that devout Sienese put above the gates of their cities, their businesses and homes in response to the preaching of St. Bernadine of Siena. St. Bernadine urged devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus as part of a peace-making response to the many family feuds that plagued the city.



It was St. Bernadine whose devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus led to the addition of Jesus' name to the Ave Maria. As the Catholic Encyclopedia puts it:

Because the manner in which St. Bernardine preached this devotion was new, he was accused by his enemies, and brought before the tribunal of Pope Martin V. But St. John Capistran defended his master so successfully that the pope not only permitted the worship of the Holy Name, but also assisted at a procession in which the holy monogram was carried. The tablet used by St. Bernardine is venerated at Santa Maria in Ara Coeli at Rome.

The Jesuits made this emblem the sign of their Society and added a cross and three nails. It was Pope Sixtus V who granted an indulgence for saying the ejaculation: "Praise be to Jesus Christ!" with the answer: "For evermore", or "Amen"

Which was the way the Pope John Paul II began most of his homilies and speeches.

I love the sturdy monogram above and wish there was some way to obtain one today for my own home. I would imagine a lot of Catholics would like one - if they were familiar with the meaning of the custom.

Any ID readers come across a source today?: