3801 Lancaster: American Tragedy

... is a documentary film about Kermit Gosnell, the Philadelphia Women's Medical Society disaster, and the cover-up by state and local oversight agencies. The trailer for the film was shown at this year's annual ProLifeCon, as covered by our annual “Twitcast” one week ago today (and the videos for which are finally all up). This documentary runs just over twenty-one minutes long, and is not for the squeamish. It is presented here in its entirety.

For more information about the film, please visit 3801lancaster.com.
 

2016 “ProLifeCon” Twitcast and Transcript

Today it begins, our seventh annual “Twitcast” joining pro-life bloggers from near and far, who all had the good sense once again, to come in out of the cold during the annual March For Life, for this year's ProLifeCon, the “premiere conference for the online prolife community” hosted once again by the Family Research Council in Washington DC.

During the event, this video clip provides a live feed of the proceedings. With its conclusion, you are invited to view the pre-recording thereof. You can learn more at the FRC website, follow the magic hashtag on Twitter: #prolifecon, or follow yours truly at: twitter.com/manwithblackhat.

A transcript of the Twitter feed appears below, now that the event is completed. Items may be edited slightly for correction, especially when we had to look up some of the big words.

+    +    +

People get ready. manwithblackhat.blogspot.com #prolifecon
8:03 AM

And ... we're off. Welcome back for another year. frc.org/prolifecon #prolifecon
8:32 AM

"Are you guys pumped today? With the weather too?" #prolifecon
8:33 AM

Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) #prolifecon
8:34 AM

"There are a lot of voices in the prolife debate. Our opponents tend to disregard the facts." #prolifecon
8:35 AM

Planned Parenthood is fighting efforts at defunding them, in favor of health care alternatives that don't harvest human organs. #prolifecon
8:36 AM

"In an effort to set the facts straight, I used every means to counteract; Facebook, Twitter ..." #prolifecon
8:37 AM

The importance of online media outlets is stressed in telling the truth about Planned Parenthood, and more viable alternatives. #prolifecon
8:38 AM

"Today is going to be a very important day for us." #prolifecon
8:40 AM

Vincent DiCaro, Chief Outreach Officer, CareNet #prolifecon
8:41 AM

Video being shown on behalf of CareNet. #prolifecon
8:41 AM

"4 out of 10 women who get abortions are actively going to church." #prolifecon
8:42 AM

"What conquers fear is love" and women considering abortion can be reached because "the church is the best place to offer it." #prolifecon
8:46 AM

A six-part DVD series is entitled "Making Life Disciples." #prolifecon
8:47 AM

"You actually help your goals by helping other people achieve their goals." #prolifecon
8:49 AM

"If you're bored with the content you're sharing, chances are they will be bored too." #prolifecon
8:52 AM

"Thank the people who contact you, and initiate automatic forms of response to maximize the outreach." #prolifecon
8:54 AM

"Ten things to not do when talking a woman out of an abortion." #prolifecon
8:57 AM

"Top 25 statistics on abortion in America" is a handy resource for "the average Joe." #prolifecon
8:58 AM

"We're not pro-life anymore. We're pro-abundant-life." #prolifecon
8:59 AM

care-net.org #prolifecon
9:01 AM

Jeanne Mancini, President, March for Life #prolifecon
9:02 AM

"Talking about our 'tweet-storm' today." #prolifecon
9:02 AM

Why We March. #whywemarch #prolifecon
9:03 AM

It's a special year to use digital media to express why we're pro-life, given the severe weather on the day of the March. #prolifecon
9:03 AM

Watch the March on EWTN or on marchforlife.org. #prolifecon
9:04 AM

"A little bit of snow, or a lot of snow, is not too big a sacrifice to make." #prolifecon
9:05 AM

Texting MARCH4LIFE to 99000. #prolifecon
9:06 AM

"Pro-life and pro-woman go hand in hand." #prolifecon
9:07 AM

"There's always the capacity for hope in healing." #prolifecon
9:08 AM

"There are many studies to show that women who have abortions have cases of ill health effects, or deaths of subsequent births." #prolifecon
9:09 AM

Ann McElhinney, Filmmaker GosnellMovie.com #prolifecon
9:11 AM

"Two years ago, I was definitely pro-choice, but I'm not anymore, because of the story of Dr Gosnell." #prolifecon
9:12 AM

"Like" this: facebook.com/gosnellmovie #prolifecon
9:13 AM

McElhinney shares how the unborn were killed, in some cases by Gosnell's staff being trained to snip the backs of their necks. #prolifecon
9:17 AM

"When you go to GosnellMovie.com, read the comments that people have shared with us." #prolifecon
9:19 AM

Lisa Smiley, LisaSmiley.com #prolifecon
9:24 AM

Lisa just had her fourth child, and so pre-recorded her message. #prolifecon
9:25 AM

Lisa writes about "the family, motherhood, God, and politics." #prolifecon
9:25 AM

"My Chinese mother broke the law, and gave birth to me and to my sisters." #prolifecon
9:25 AM

"We need more voices ... who are passionate about life, and who can use the internet." #prolifecon
9:29 AM

Family Research Council: a brief report on FRC's own activities on the pro-life front. #prolifecon
9:30 AM

obamacareabortion.com #prolifecon
9:31 AM

"According to a report of the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, we are winning." #prolifecon
9:32 AM

Chase Jennings is reporting from the National Mall this morning. #prolifecon
9:33 AM

Several women are being interviewed for testimonies on their work with "crisis pregnancies." abortionpillreversal.com #prolifecon
9:35 AM

"I am here as the child born of a rape victim." #prolifecon
9:35 AM

Alison Howard, Director of Alliance Relations, Alliance Defending Freedom #prolifecon
9:36 AM

"We kind of get to talk as a family about how our work is doing this year." #prolifecon
9:37 AM

"Planned Parenthood gets $500 million a year in taxpayer dollars." #prolifecon
9:37 AM

What follows is a comparison of what Planned Parenthood says, and what they actually do (or don't do). #prolifecon
9:38 AM

Over 8000 mammogram facilities in America. Planned Parenthood operates NONE of them (but do only referrals). #prolifecon
9:39 AM

Planned Parenthood is fighting proposed regulations for hospital and health care safety standards. #prolifecon
9:40 AM

getyourcare.org #prolifecon
9:43 AM

"We have presidential candidates mentioning our alternatives in Glamour magazine. We couldn't do that before." #prolifecon
9:46 AM

Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council #prolifecon
9:47 AM

This year's Digital Prolife Pioneer Award goes to David Daleiden, Founder, Center for Medical Progress. #prolifecon
9:49 AM

Because of the work of CMP, the president of Planned Parenthood was forced to explain herself before Congress. #prolifecon
9:51 AM

Planned Parenthood is still refusing to answer questions on accountability for the harvesting of organs from the unborn. #prolifecon
9:55 AM

"We look forward to the day when a price tag is no longer placed on a human life." #prolifecon
9:58 AM

Ryan Bomberger, Chief Creative Officer/Founder, The Radiance Foundation #prolifecon
9:58 AM

radiancefoundation.org "Follow us at @lifehaspurpose." #prolifecon
10:03 AM

#ppsellsbabyparts #prolifecon
10:04 AM

radiancefoundation.org/oneinfive "If you don't rely on Common Core math ..." #prolifecon
10:05 AM

"Our site is not available due to an attack by extremists." If your site is hacked, why is your site up saying this? #prolfiecon
10:06 AM

The Radiance Foundation does an extraordinary job of multimedia presentations telling the truth about Planned Parenthood. #prolifecon
10:09 AM

toomanyaborted.com All Lives Matter! #prolifecon
10:10 AM

"Read. Tweet. Repeat." #prolifecon
10:11 AM

Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Majority Whip #prolifecon
10:14 AM

In the Louisiana legislature, and in state legislatures elsewhere, there is increased initiative against pro-abortion interests. #prolifecon
10:18 AM

"A few important wins on the House floor," not all of which were signed off by the President. #prolifecon
10:20 AM

We asked fellow party members "why wouldn't we use all our tools to produce a pro-life bill?" #prolifecon
10:22 AM

Congressman explains the process and complexities of gutting certain aspects of Obamacare with a narrow majority in the Senate. #prolifecon
10:25 AM

The Senate ultimately produced 52 votes for the bill. The President vetoed the bill. There is an effort to override the veto. #prolifecon
10:27 AM

"Imagine putting two more Scalias on the High Court. That's what's at stake in this next election." #prolifecon
10:28 AM

"We need to elect a President who shares our values. It's great to keep this battle going." #prolifecon
10:32 AM

Dustin Siggins, LifeSiteNews #prolifecon
10:37 AM

A short film precedes Mr Siggins' presentation. #prolifecon
10:38 AM

"The mainstream media won't touch this. Help us expose Planned Parenthood." #prolifecon
10:40 AM

When PP presents itself as a "women's health organization," lifesitenews.com helps to provide answers to that. #prolifecon
10:41 AM

Lauren Merz, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Live Action #prolifecon
10:48 AM

"The largest pro-life social media platform on the web." #prolifecon
10:48 AM

liveaction.org #prolifecon
10:49 AM

Live Action was the producer of the most viral pro-life video ever in 2014, the result of undercover investigations. #prolifecon
10:54 AM

A short film: "3801 Lancaster." #prolifecon
10:56 AM

From the movie: "There's more oversight for women's hair salons than for abortion clinics in the State of Pennsylvania." #prolifecon
10:58 AM

Matthew Fridg, Social Media Director, 3801 Lancaster Film Project, addresses the crowd via Skype. #prolifecon
10:59 AM

"Do anything we can with the resources we have to get the word out" about this film. #prolifecon
11:04 AM

3801lancaster.com/digitalactivism #prolifecon
11:05 AM

Chase is back, and at the National Mall. #prolifecon
11:08 AM

Brandon Buell, 'Jaxon Strong' Facebook Community #prolifecon
11:10 AM

A short film about "Jackson," before Brandon Buell comes to the stage. #prolifecon
11:11 AM

"I'm here to tell his story," that of a developmentally disabled boy who is now (to the surprise of doctors) 17 months old. #prolifecon
11:13 AM

"Jackson is writing his own story and we're just along for the ride." #prolifecon
11:17 AM

facebook.com/Jaxon-Strong-796770840434222/ #prolifecon
11:19 AM

"We would never choose to play God in that situation. When did choosing a life become a selfish choice?" #prolifecon
11:20 AM

#jaxonstrong #prolifecon
11:21 AM

Governor Sam Brownback, (R-Kansas) #prolifecon
11:25 AM

The governor appears in a video message, thanking those present for their efforts. #prolifecon
11:26 AM

Looking ahead to 2016. #prolifecon
11:31 AM

"Now let's go out there and March!" And ... we're out! Look for the transcript later today at manwithblackhat.blogspot.com! #prolifecon
11:34 AM

+    +    +
 

Plowing Through Monday

Today was the traditional start of the agricultural year in England, and so was known as “Plough Monday” or the day after “Plough Sunday” which was the Sunday following the traditional observance of Epiphany on the sixth of January. This was the Monday when everyone would end the Christmas revelry and get back to work.

John Brand, in his 1777 book Observations on Popular Antiquities, gives an account of the formalities:

The FOOL PLOUGH goes about: a pageant consisting of a number of sword dancers dragging a plough, with music; one, sometimes two, in very strange attire; the Bessy, in the grotesque habit of an old woman, and the Fool, almost covered with skins, a hairy cap on, and the tail of some animal hanging from his back. The office of one of these characters, in which he is very assiduous, is to go about rattling a box amongst the spectators of the dance, in which he receives their little donations.

Well, maybe not directly back to work. Personally, I'd rather be molly dancing. What is that, you ask?

“Molly dancing” traditionally only appeared during the depths of winter and is regarded by many people as the East Anglian form of Morris dancing. It is characterized by blackened faces, heavy boots (usually hobnailed) and the presence of a "Lord" and a "Lady", two of the men specially attired respectively as a gentleman and his consort, who lead the dances. Blackening faces was a form of disguise, since the dancers could not afford to be recognised. Some of those people from whom they had demanded money with menaces would have been their employers. Molly dancing is by nature robust and, some would say, aggressive. These qualities are emphasised by the sound of the hobnailed boots worn by the dancers, which were the normal form of footwear for farm workers in the East of England right up until the second half of the twentieth century. (Information courtesy alexandersanders.)

On a promising note, and according to the Olde Farmer's Almanac: “In the evening, each farmer provided a Plough Monday supper for his workers, with plentiful beef and ale for all.”

They could do worse.
 

Christus Mansionem Benedicat!

VIDEO: A 2008 performance of "March of the Kings" ("Marche Des Rois") by Nowell Sing We Clear (Tony Barrand, Fred Breunig, Andy Davis and John Roberts) at Latchis Theater, Brattleboro, Vermont.

+    +    +

The Blessing of the Entrance to the House (“Chalking the Door”)

At the Mass for the Day, the faithful are given chalk that has been blessed by the priest, as well as special holy water known as "Epiphany water." The blessing for it, which takes place only for this occasion, is to be found in the traditional Rituale Romanum, and includes a prayer of exorcism. The blessed chalk and the holy water are then taken home, to be used that evening.

+    +    +

We begin with the Sign of the Cross, and the words of Psalm 71(72) "Deus, judicium":

Give the King your justice, O God, *
    and your righteousness to the King's son;

That he may rule your people righteously *
    and the poor with justice.

That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
    and the little hills bring righteousness.

He shall defend the needy among the people; *
    he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.

He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
    from one generation to another.

He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
    like showers that water the earth.

In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
    there shall be abundance of peace
        till the moon shall be no more.

He shall rule from sea to sea, *
    and from the River to the ends of the earth.

His foes shall bow down before him, *
    and his enemies lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *
    and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.

All kings shall bow down before him, *
    and all the nations do him service.

For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *
    and the oppressed who has no helper.

He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *
    he shall preserve the lives of the needy.

He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *
    and dear shall their blood be in his sight.

Long may he live!
    and may there be given to him gold from Arabia; *
        may prayer be made for him always,
            and may they bless him all the day long.

May there be abundance of grain on the earth,
    growing thick even on the hilltops; *
        may its fruit flourish like Lebanon,
            and its grain like grass upon the earth.

May his Name remain for ever
    and be established as long as the sun endures; *
        may all the nations bless themselves in him
            and call him blessed.

Blessed be the Lord GOD, the God of Israel, *
    who alone does wondrous deeds!

And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *
    and may all the earth be filled with his glory.

Amen.

Then one who is the Officiant says the following prayer:

Lord God of Heaven and Earth, who hast revealed thine only-begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star: Bless this house and all who inhabit it. Fill them with the light of Christ, that their love for others may truly reflect thy love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

If necessary, the Officiant or another steps up onto a chair or stepladder, and with a piece of blessed chalk, writes over the entrance to the house.

“Christus ...” (“May Christ ...”)

          C

“Mansionem ...” (“this dwelling ...”)

          C      M

“Benedicat.” (“... bless.”)

          C      M      B

“In the coming year ...”

20      C      M      B

“... and in the years to come.”

20      C      M      B      16

“In the name of the Father ...”

20  +  C      M      B      16

“and of the Son ...”

20  +  C  +  M      B      16

“... and of the Holy Spirit.”

20  +  C  +  M  +  B      16

Everyone responds: “Amen.”

20  +  C  +  M  +  B  +  16

The doorway is sprinkled with Holy Water blessed for the Epiphany. The inscription is to be removed on the Feast of Pentecost.

+    +    +

For those who require "the short form," there is this one from the Church of Saint Mary in Clifton Heights, New York. On those nights when the weather is particularly inclement, one can simply read from the Gospel of John while inscribing over the door ...

In the beginning was the Word, (inscribe 2)

and the Word was with God, (inscribe 0)

and the Word was God. (inscribe +)

He was in the beginning with God. (inscribe C)

All things came to be through him, (inscribe +)

and without him nothing came to be. (inscribe M)

And the Word became flesh (inscribe +)

and made his dwelling among us, (inscribe B)

and we saw his glory, (inscribe +)

the glory as of the Father’s only Son, (inscribe 1)

full of grace and truth. (inscribe 6)

… then with the Holy Water, making the sign of the cross three times over the entrance, proclaiming “Christus ... Mansionem ... Benedicat” and calling it a night.

+    +    +

This day is remembered throughout the world by various names. In many parts of Europe, Epiphany retains its distinction as "Little Christmas." Among the Greek Orthodox, the waters of the harbor are blessed by the local priest. In Spanish-speaking countries, it is known as “Dia de los Tres Reyes” (“Day of the Three Kings”). There are parades on the main street, such as this one in Madrid, Spain.

Although we know the "kings" were not actually royalty at all, but scholars in astronomy and other sciences who came from Persia, tradition has associated Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar (their names as rendered in the apocryphal gospel accounts) as representing the Orient, Arabia, and Africa, the three great land masses of the known world in the first millennium.

As with the eve of Saint Nicholas Day in parts of western Europe, children in the Hispanic world are known to leave their shoes out and receive candy and other treats by the next morning. In Spain, children traditionally received presents on this day, rather than on Christmas, although recent years have seen both Christmas and Epiphany as a time for gift-giving.

I just love parades.
 

Christ-Mass: Twelfth Night

When I was growing up back in Ohio, the village of Milford had their own way of disposing of old Christmas trees. They would be collected and taken to some field at the edge of town, stacked in a big pile, and "Twelfth Night" would be celebrated with the lighting of a bonfire dubbed the "yule log." This is remarkable when you consider that Milford is a town first settled by (and more than two centuries later, is still more or less dominated by) Methodists and not "Catlickers." Of course, Mom and Dad didn't go for that sort of ribaldry, so I never actually saw it happen, but I would always read about it that week in the local rag known as The Milford Advertiser.

These days, I imagine people would have a hard time penciling it in between trips to soccer practice and PTA meetings. In fact, since leaving the Buckeye State to seek my fortune elsewhere, I have learned that the town has yielded to other priorities, courtesy of the county's Office of Environmental Quality:

“Many recycled trees are sent through a wood chipper and are used as mulch.”

They have got to be kidding. That kills the holiday magic right there. Then again, why celebrate the glory of the season, when you can spend the rest of the year spreading it on your lawn and walking all over it?

Meanwhile, here at Chez Alexandre, we have celebrated Epiphany on the traditional day all along. Tomorrow the lights that have been on continuously for thirteen days straight (that is, from the day before Christmas until its twelfth day) are shut off and taken down. They are put back in storage along with the decorations, waiting for the season to return. Last of all, the dying tree is sent to its final resting place.

Joy, health, love and peace
Be all here in this place
By your leave we will sing
Concerning our King.

Our King is well dressed
In silks of the best
In ribbons so rare
No King can compare.

We have traveled many miles
Over hedges and stiles
In search of our King
Unto you we bring.

We have powder and shot
To conquer the lot
We have cannon and ball
To conquer them all.

Old Christmas
    is past
Twelvetide
    is the last
And we bid
    you adieu
Great joy
    to the new.

(H/T to Steeleye Span.)
 

Christ-Mass: Day 12 (St Telesphorus/St John Neumann)

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, twelve drummers drumming ...”

It is ironic that the last day of Christmastide should be anti-clamatic, if only for the day itself. The highlight comes later in the day. Meanwhile ...

The reformed Roman calendar honors Saint John Nepomucene Neumann, a native of Bohemia and Redemptorist priest who was appointed Bishop of Philadelphia in the mid-19th century, and who was a key figure in spreading the Faith to an ever-expanding United States of America.

In the traditional Roman calendar, Mother Church remembers Pope Saint Telesphorus, elected Bishop of Rome in 126, and martyred ten years later. It is said that the tradition of Christmas Midnight Masses, the celebration of Easter on Sundays, the keeping of a seven-week Lent before Easter, and the singing of the Gloria, all are attributed to his pontificate, but the historical accuracy of this claim is in doubt.

Tonight, a season ends, and tomorrow, a new one begins. Stay tuned ...
 

Christ-Mass: Day 11 (St Elizabeth Ann Seton)

“On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, eleven pipers piping ...”

As the end of Christmastide draws near, life begins to turn to normal. The trees are taken down and are sitting on the curb, the usual workday routine begins again, and commercials for "holiday sales," having been extended just beyond the first day of the new year, are heard no longer. Meanwhile ...

Today is the feast of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, the foundress of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph, the mother of the Nation's parochial school system, and patroness of Catholic schools.

She was the first native-born American to be canonized a saint, by Pope Paul VI in 1975. From the original motherhouse in Emmitsburg, Maryland, a branch house was established out west, known today as the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, based at Mount Saint Joseph-on-the-Ohio, located on the city's once-predominantly Catholic west side. This order did much to build, not only the parochial school system in this part of the Midwest through their teaching apostolate, but the health care system as well, through the establishment of Good Samaritan Hospital in 1852.

Concerning the role of women Religious and the health care apostolate, much has changed in recent years, to say the least. In light of the current health care legislation signed into law in the United States, and the capitulation by "leaders" of women religious orders, in forcing others to cooperate in acts against the Gospel of Life, let us pause for a moment to consider the irony.

And the exception.
 

Christ-Mass: Day 10 (St Genevieve/Not Epiphany)

“On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, ten lords a-leaping ...”

Today on the traditional Roman calendar, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which was our topic yesterday, which is when we explained why it was our topic yesterday. Meanwhile, the reformed Roman calendar observes either (universally) the Second Sunday After Christmas, or (in the Dioceses of the USA and elsewhere) the Solemnity of the Epiphany.

Why the latter, you ask?

This is a judgment by a competent territorial body of bishops. In this instance, the term "competent" is used guardedly. You see, they think you are entirely too lazy to celebrate anything on a weekday. So they make it convenient for you. They would probably provide drive-thru confessions, and probably had to ignore the advice of an army of lawyers and "risk assessment specialists" to pass on the idea. Perhaps once we succeed in converting the culture for Christ, they'll move Christmas to a Sunday as well, to coordinate our schedules with the department stores. Almost seems worth it, right?

We can say all we want about "the reason for the season" and "keeping Christ in Christmas" and all that. But such festivity presumes a priority attached to, and a meaning for, the value of sacred time. We can also assure ourselves that "our bishops must know what they're doing." But how can something be sacred if we can bend it and twist it to suit our convenience?

And that's when we beg the question, as to whether they really know what they're doing.

+    +    +

It is also the day that both the Eastern and Western churches remember the French shepherd girl Saint Genevieve, who lived in the mid- and late- fifth century. Her sanctity was noted at a very early age by Saint Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, who consecrated her to God at the age of seven. Genevieve is patroness of the city of Paris, which has been saved through her intercession more than once, the first time from her contemporary, Attila the Hun.

Perhaps that is why her commemoration has been a popular one here at man with black hat, don't you think?

Or don't you?
 

Christ-Mass: Day 9 (The Holy Name of Jesus)

“On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, nine ladies dancing ...”

The traditional Roman calendar associates this day with the Holy Name of Jesus. It used to be associated with the day before, with the Feast of the Circumcision. (In fact, the Gospel reading for both feasts is identical.) Then in 1913, Pope Pius X moved it to the Sunday between the second and the fifth January inclusive, and in years when no such Sunday existed, to be observed on the second of January. Don't ask me why. (NOTE: This year the feast is on a Sunday, tomorrow, the third of January, but we have something special planned for that. Stay tuned ...)

Historically, the observance of this feast has been all over the place until nearly one hundred years ago. The circumcision of a newborn male under Jewish law must take place eight days after the child's birth, at which time he is given his name. Small wonder, then, that the Gospel readings for both feasts in the traditional Roman calendar are the same. Some Western traditions, such as Anglican and Lutheran, celebrate both on the first of January, as did the Roman for quite some time -- you know, being the eighth day and all.

And speaking of names ...

Once I heard a comedian pose this important theological question: “If Jesus was Jewish, why did He have an Hispanic name?” That occasion aside, it gives us an occasion of our own, to consider that the name "Jesus" was not an uncommon one in His day. Brian Palmer writes for Slate:

Many people shared the name. Christ's given name, commonly Romanized as Yeshua, was quite common in first-century Galilee. (Jesus comes from the transliteration of Yeshua into Greek and then English.) Archaeologists have unearthed the tombs of 71 Yeshuas from the period of Jesus' death. The name also appears 30 times in the Old Testament in reference to four separate characters -- including a descendant of Aaron who helped to distribute offerings of grain (2 Chronicles 31:15) and a man who accompanied former captives of Nebuchadnezzar back to Jerusalem (Ezra 2:2) ...

How would Christ have been addressed by those around him? Well, certainly not as "Mister Christ." In fact, "Christ" was not a name, but a title, from the Greek Khristós for "anointed one." The Hebrew word was Moshiach or "Messiah." He would have been known by His given name, and the name of His father -- “Yeshua bar Yehosef” or “Jesus Son of Joseph.” In later centuries (or in present-day Iceland), we might easily surmise His having been addressed as “Jesus Josephson.”

We also know that He eventually left Nazareth in Galilee, the town of His childhood, for other parts of that country, as well as Samaria and Judea. In those places, He would have been just as likely addressed as “Yeshua Nasraya” or “Jesus of Nazareth.” We know from Scripture that such was the inscription on the Cross, which gave both His name and His offense, in three languages: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” (actually, “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum” in Latin, “Ihsoûs ó Nazoraîos ó Basileùs tôn ’Ioudaìov” in Greek, and “Yeshua HaNazarei v Melech HaYehudim” in Hebrew). After all, a guy from a hick town like that would have been rather conspicuous in a high-falutin' place like Jerusalem, especially outside of the High Holydays.

The Scriptures also record him being addressed as “Jesus Son of David.” A man would also have been known for his extended family; that is, his tribe or house, as in “Yeshua ben David” or “Jesus of the House of David.” Or so I've read. But even though family lineage was everything in Jewish society, such an address was not as common in everyday use.

Or so I've read.

Devotion to the Holy Name has also been the inspiration for the National Association of the Holy Name Society. HNS chapters have been the basis for men's clubs in Catholic parishes for generations.
 

Christ-Mass: Day 8 (Circumcision/St Basil)

“On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, eight maids a-milking ...”

The world knows it as New Year's Day. Our holy Mother Church knows it by many names.

First and foremost, it is the “Octave-day” or eighth day of Christmastide. Such was its name in the earliest liturgical books, thus remembered as the day of Circumcision, when a son of Israel was marked according to the Law. (It hurts just thinking about it.) In both forms of the Roman Rite, the brief account from Luke is proclaimed:

At that time, after eight days were accomplished, that the Child should be circumcised: His Name was called Jesus, which was called by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. (2:21)

In the reformed Missal, the day is primarily known as the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God. While appearing as a break in tradition, it is a reminder of the Marian emphasis of the Feast, as found even in the orations of the pre-conciliar Missal. It was the tradition in Rome, that the Pope would go to one of the many churches in the city, whichever was the "Station" for that particular feast -- in the case of this one, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

But wait, there is one more...

In the East, today is known not only for the Circumcision, but as the Feast of Saint Basil the Great, bishop of Caesarea in the fourth century, and one of the great Fathers of the Eastern Church. Today is when the Greeks would traditionally exchange gifts. For many years, when I couldn't meet with Paul for Christmas (and as he was raised in the Byzantine Rite of his mother), I would make an occasion of this day.

With all that arcane information, you still have to admit that four names for one day is a lot. And to think the year is just getting started.