But now, thus says the LORD,

who created you, Jacob, and formed you, Israel:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name: you are mine.

(Isa 43:1)

“Sorry, what was your name again?” I felt terrible for not remembering. I had spent the last minute trying to decide if I should ask his name (again) or just navigate the conversation without using any name at all. I chose the former. It was embarrassing, but for some reason I couldn’t remember. As soon as he said his name, I was both grateful and validated—he didn’t remember mine either! Ha! Now we could really get a conversation going.

Even though this happens all too often (to me at least), common wisdom says that you should always ask again for the name—it shows people that you care about having a relationship with them. In fact, if you were to refuse to tell someone your name in an introduction, or if you were to tell them a fake name, you risk destroying the possibility of a relationship at all (not many people have real relationships with spies for instance). So, it makes sense that, at the beginning of any relationship, you introduce yourself with your name. 

This same phenomenon happens when God appears to Moses. In Exodus 3, we read that Moses sees a burning bush. This sight piques his interest. He walks over and the first thing that happens is God calls his name! Notice what else happens. God introduces himself as well—he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But, toward the end of the conversation, we see that Moses wants more. He wants more than a description of this God he is speaking to—Moses wants his name.

God gives a cryptic response, “I am who am.” After this strange introduction, we learn that God and Moses become quite close, even speaking to one another as friends do (Exod 33:11). Now that God has given Moses his name, Moses can call on God! He can get God’s attention the way God first got Moses’ attention. In fact, there is such a recognition of this privilege that the Israelites are prohibited from abusing the name of God. The beginning of God’s condescension to us is to allow us to use created words when we call upon him. We can call out in pain or ecstatic love or excitement at the greatness of God!   

We must never forget, however, that names go two ways. We call upon God, and he calls upon us. But, you might wonder, when did you introduce yourself to God? This is where there is a difference between our relationship with God and our relationship with any other person. We are able to call upon God not because we have introduced ourselves to him, but rather because he first introduced himself to us by choosing us from all eternity to be! “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). 

At our conception, God called us out of non-existence. At our birth, God allowed our parents to take part in his plan for us. They gave us a name by which we will be addressed our whole lives (what a great privilege parents have! No wonder it takes nine months to decide on a name sometimes). Then, at our Baptism we are called by a new name. Even though it is not essential to the rite of Baptism to say the person’s name when baptizing, it is customary. In using the person’s name, there is a recognition that, at Baptism, God is calling this person by a new name, a new title—“my child.” 

At Baptism, God calls us into a deep relationship with him—a bond of friendship that is meant to last forever. Remember though, it’s not just that God calls us something new; we also call God something new: Father. In Baptism, the three-personed God dwells in our soul, giving the greatest gift imaginable to us: Himself. And so we cry out, “Abba, Father,” to the one who has called us by name.

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Photo by Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P. (used with permission)