The Feast of the Holy Name: Psalm 103

When I was helping with The Shelter Christmas dinner at Temple Israel, the rabbi stopped by the kitchen to kibitz with the cooks, and the folks coming in with their food contributions. There was some banter about Christ and Christmas, and the rabbi remarked that if Christ were born on Christmas, then his circumcision would have to be New Year's Day.

Very good, rabbi. That's absolutely correct. We in Christendom celebrate what we call the feast of the Holy Name, the day on which Jesus received his name and was circumcised as any good Jewish boy would have been. I thought it fitting that the Daily Office assigned Psalm 103 for this morning, which begins:

Bless the Lord, O my soul
and all that is within me
bless his holy name.

I love Psalm 103! I love that it is joyous. I love that it is a song of how deep and abiding the love of God is for us.

The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger for ever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love towards those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.

This is remarkable! And no where in any of this is the caveat that says, "These verses only apply to people of a certain social status, sexual orientation, skin color, or ethnicity". This is a love so true and deep and amazing and it's for anybody who "fears" (meaning "regards") God. My soul can't help but want to repeat the refrain that is at the end of this psalm.

Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient to his spoken word.
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers that do his will.
Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.

So, as I kick off 2010, I give thanks for this day on which Jesus received his name, and shed his first blood in the journey to being God living as one of us. Thanks for the love!