What is IHS?

Today being the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, let’s find out:

IHS is a monogram. The IHS is associated with the word “Jesus.”

IHS is a shortened form of the Greek name for
Jesus as written out in a form of the Greek alphabet used from the fourth to eighth centuries.

Though IHS came from the Greek it gradually assumed meanings based in Latin.

The first, and most common, is “Iesus Hominum Salvator” which means Jesus Savior of Humanity.

Saint Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444) promoted this understanding during his great campaign to recover respect for the name of Jesus.

Among the Jesuits, IHS is an abbreviation for Iesum Habemus Socium, which means: “We have Jesus as companion.”

God bless you and your families in Jesus name.