On the Invocation of the Name of Jesus

Coming soon!

On the Invocation of the Name of Jesus offers a profound exploration of the Eastern spiritual practice known as the Jesus Prayer.

Penned by a Monk of the Eastern Church, this text serves as far more than a practical manual; it is a luminous theological and spiritual treatise. In this handsome, pocket-sized paperback, the author reveals the Holy Name not merely as a formula, but as a living expression of the Incarnate Word, a mystery of salvation, and the very foundation for unceasing prayer of the heart.

As this text is re-released for a new generation, its message remains timeless. For all who seek a deeper, unceasing communion with Christ, this classic guide endures as an indispensable source of wisdom and inspiration.

PROEM

Thy Name is oil poured forth.

Song of Songs 1:3

The cry of the Bride in the Song of Songs has ever been received by the Church as a witness to the sweetness and power of the Holy Name. Like precious oil poured out, the Name of Jesus is diffusive and penetrating, reaching whatever it touches and leaving nothing as it was. From the earliest centuries, Christian tradition has understood the invocation of the Name as something living and efficacious, communicating mercy to the soul that calls upon it with faith.

Origen, in his second homily on Leviticus, unfolds this imagery with characteristic depth: For every soul hath need of the oil of divine mercy; and no man may pass through this present life, unless the oil of heavenly mercy be with him. The soul’s passage through this life is arduous, marked by frailty and repeated wounding, and mercy is therefore essential to its perseverance. The Greek Fathers found particular delight in the providential resonance between eleos (mercy) and elaion (oil), discerning in this affinity not a mere play upon words, but a theological truth expressed through language itself. Mercy soothes, strengthens, and enables movement; oil heals what is bruised and allows the traveller to continue his way. To invoke the Holy Name is, in this patristic vision, to receive an interior anointing by which the soul is sustained upon its journey.

‘The way of the Name’ transcends period and circumstance, remaining open to every Christian who calls upon the Lord with faith and perseverance. It is a path of steady endurance rather than sudden illumination. Little by little the prayer shapes the inner life, gathers the scattered mind, stills the divided heart, and orients the whole man toward Christ in humility and trust. The oil continues to be poured forth, mercy continues to be given, and the Holy Name continues to save, heal, and strengthen those who receive it in the heart. May those who approach this little work with simplicity and constancy discover that the invocation of the Name becomes, in time, a source of light for the mind, consolation for the heart, and strength for the soul’s pilgrimage through this present life.

So that, by the elements, by the angels and by men, by things visible and invisible, Thy most Holy Name may be glorified, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen

Libri Sancti Press

Saint Louis, 1 January 2026