“God Calls Us By Name” - Because Names are Important - St. Mary Parish

by Father Joe

“God Calls Us By Name” - Because Names are Important

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Our name is such an important part of who we are. Our ears perk up when we hear it, and when spoken by someone we care about, our name can speak to our hearts as well as our minds. A name connects people with their family and ancestry. In the Bible, a person’s name carries major significance. It signifies a certain power to know one’s name, and especially to be able to give someone a name. Adding or changing one’s name can mark a new beginning or a special calling, as when God called Abram into a new land and named him Abraham, or when Jesus told Simon he would be called Peter, “the rock” and foundation of the Church. Think of the passage where God was calling Samuel for the first time (then the second, and the third…). He responded readily each time… thinking it was the prophet Elijah calling him. Finally, the elder realized it was the Lord calling the youth, and guided Samuel to respond, “Your servant is listening.”

So, in an ideal world, we too would all call one another by name. With our real-world limitations, however, we can have many practical reasons for not learning or remembering someone else’s name. Sadly, I have forgotten more parishioners’ names than I care to admit, and I will never have the honor of knowing the name of even half the members of our collaborative parishes - but working together we can know the name of every person who worships with us regularly.

It may not be important to you for people in your parish to know you by name, but it could make a big difference to someone else. Many of us struggle with the fact that more Catholics don’t worship with us regularly. While some of the reasons are complex, many of the simpler ones we can address together. In today’s world, many people need to feel like they “belong” or fit in with the group for them to feel strongly enough to participate in an ongoing way. If they don’t remember the prayers or when to kneel, they can feel like outsiders. Simply calling someone by name (even with the help of a name tag) might be the first step to help someone want to come back next week.

So, thank you for participating in “God Calls Us by Name” the second Sunday of each month. The plastic name tag holders are not reused until the following month. After returning the tag holder at the doors, please hold onto your tag to make it easier for you next month, as we plan to do this on a regular basis. If you didn’t want to display your name on a tag this time, please consider other ways you can help people to feel they “belong” and that we are grateful they are with us in the parish family.

“God Calls Us By Name” - Because Names are Important