Keep Them in My Name

Homily for Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Easter

As we celebrate St. Bernardine of Siena, the great Franciscan preacher of the Holy Name, the readings draw us into the heart of what it means to be entrusted with the Gospel. In Acts, Paul speaks to the presbyters of Ephesus with a tenderness that comes only from years of shared labor. “Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock.” Paul knows that the Church is fragile, that disciples can be wounded, scattered, or misled. His final words are not about strategy or success, but about guardianship — the humble vigilance of those who care for souls.

In the Gospel, Jesus prays that the Father will keep us in His name. It is striking that on the memorial of Bernardine — the saint who lifted high the monogram IHS and preached the power of the Holy Name — we hear Jesus Himself entrust us to that Name. To be consecrated in the truth, Jesus says, is to be set apart not for privilege but for mission. We are sent into the world not as spectators but as witnesses, bearing the Name that saves.

The psalm reminds us that the God who calls us is the God who gives strength to His people. Bernardine knew this well. His own health was fragile; his voice was weak; his early years were marked by obscurity. Yet when the time came, God strengthened him to preach with fire, clarity, and joy. He did not preach himself — he preached Jesus, the Name above every name. His whole ministry was a kind of echo of today’s Gospel: “Holy Father, keep them in your name.”

For us as Franciscans, Bernardine’s witness is a reminder that our vocation is not to be impressive but to be transparent — to let the Name of Jesus shine through our words, our choices, our fraternity, our poverty, our joy. We are called, like Paul, to watch over one another with tenderness. We are called, like Jesus, to pray for the unity and holiness of the community. And we are called, like Bernardine, to carry the Holy Name into the world with humility and courage.

May we allow ourselves to be consecrated again in the truth, strengthened by the God who bears our burdens, and sent forth with the simplicity of Francis and the zeal of Bernardine — so that in our lives, the Holy Name may be known, loved, and praised.