Jesus means in Hebrew, "God saves." At the annunciation, the angel Gabriel gave Him the
name Jesus as His proper name, which expresses both His identity and His mission. Since God
alone can forgive sins, it is God who, in Jesus, His eternal Son made man, "will save His
people from their sins." In Jesus, God recapitulates all of His history of salvation on behalf of
men.

     The name Jesus signifies that the very name of God is present in the person of His Son, made
man for the universal and definitive redemption from sins. It is the divine name that alone brings
salvation and henceforth all can invoke His name. For Jesus united Himself to all men through
His Incarnation, so that "there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we
must be saved."

     Jesus' Resurrection glorifies the name of the Saviour God, for from that time on it is the name
of Jesus that fully manifests the supreme power of the "name which is above every name'" The
evil spirits fear his name; in His name His disciples perform miracles, for the Father grants all
they ask in this name.

     The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer. All liturgical prayers conclude with the
words "through our Lord Jesus Christ." The Hail Mary reaches its high point in the words
"Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." The Eastern prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer,
says "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Many Christians, such as
St. Joan of Arc, have died with the one word "Jesus" on their lips.