THE WORLD IN DANGER SAVED BY THE HOLY NAME

In the year 1274 great evils threatened the world. The Church was
assailed by fierce enemies from within and without. So great was the
danger that the Pope, Gregory X, who then reigned, called a council
of Bishops in Lyons to determine on the best means of saving society
from the ruin that menaced it. Among the many means proposed, the
Pope and Bishops chose what they considered the easiest and most
efficacious of all, viz., the frequent repetition of the Holy Name of
Jesus.

The Holy Father then begged the Bishops to call on the Name of Jesus
and to urge their peoples to place all their confidence in this
all-powerful Name, repeating it constantly with boundless trust. The
Pope entrusted the Dominicans especially with the glorious task of
preaching the wonders of the Holy Name in every country, a work they
accomplished with unbounded zeal.

Their Franciscan brothers ably seconded them. St. Bernardine of
Siena and St. Leonard of Port-Maurice were ardent apostles of the
Name of Jesus.

Their efforts were crowned with success so that the enemies of the
Church were overthrown, the dangers that threatened society
disappeared and peace once more reigned supreme.

This is a most important lesson for us because, in these our own
days, dreadful sufferings are crushing many countries, and still
greater evils threaten all the others.

No government or governments seem strong and wise enough to stem
this awful torrent of evils. There is but one remedy, and that is
prayer.

Every Christian must turn to God and ask Him to have mercy on us.
The easiest of all prayers, as we have seen, is the Name of Jesus.

Everyone without exception can invoke this holy name hundred of
times a day, not only for his own intentions, but also to ask God to
deliver the world from impending ruin.

It is amazing what one person who prays can do to save his country
and save society. We read in Holy Scripture how Moses saved by his
prayer the people of Israel from destruction, and how one pious
woman, Judith of Betulia, saved her city and her people when the
rulers were in despair and about to surrender themselves to their
enemies.

Again, we know that the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrha, which God
destroyed by fire for their sins and crimes, would have been pardoned
had there been only ten good men to pray for them!

Over and over again we read of kings, emperors, statesmen and famous
military commanders who placed all their trust in prayer, thus working
wonders. If the prayers of one man can do much, what will not the
prayers of many do?

The Name of Jesus is the shortest, the easiest and the most powerful
of prayers. Everyone can say it, even in the midst of this daily work.
God cannot refuse to hear it.

Let us then invoke the Name of Jesus, asking Him to save us from the
calamities that threaten us.

 Taken from the booklet
THE WONDERS OF THE HOLY NAME
by Fr. Paul O'Sullivan