Weekday of Christmas – The Most Holy Name of Jesus : Friday, 3rd January 2025

Are we not all children of God? St John in his first letter does not seem to think so. A child of God is something one becomes by a rebirth in the Spirit. Knowing Jesus opens our eyes, mind, and heart, enabling us to see and understand. Being a child of God means entering a deep relationship, one in which distance seems to disappear. And it is not over – God has only just begun. One day we will see the Lord as He is. We must enter that flowing river of the Spirit and allow ourselves to be carried wherever it goes.

John the Baptist’s eyes and mind were already open, for he recognised Jesus immediately and why He had come. His proclamation of ‘Here is the Lamb, Who takes away the sins of the world!’ echoes down to our day. John had never met Jesus or seen Him and yet he was guided and enlightened by the Spirit. And so it is with us – the more we are led by the Spirit, the more we will be able to recognise the presence of Jesus Christ everywhere, even in some unexpected places.

To recognise God’s presence demands our willingness to spare time and relish with all our senses God’s attention to us. Perhaps, naming every good deed of the day helps us to realise that God’s Spirit is like a dove gently capturing our attention and enabling us to comprehend and share God’s untiring, redeeming acts today.

Lord, help me to be truly grateful for the redeeming grace You pour into my life today.