Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory. — Psalm 115:1 

Mass readings: Acts 14:5-18 / John 14:21-26 

What’s in a Name? 

One of the first assignments I give my college composition students is to reflect on their names. It’s a simple exercise that elicits enlightening results. Some students are excited to learn their name’s derivation, some confess a deep-seated aversion to theirs, others discover after whom they are named or what other names their parents had considered and rejected. A few realize their names fit them perfectly. Writing is thinking and writing is learning; no one comes away from this assignment unchanged. 

Our names define and reflect us; they’re an important part of our identity. In today’s Gospel, John tells us it is “Judas, not the Iscariot” who speaks to Jesus. He distinguishes one name, one person, from another. How can we honor our given name? How can we better reflect the name “Christian”? 

Prayer: Jesus Christ, we honor Your name above all.