Friday 3 January 2025
The Most Holy Name of Jesus
1 John 2:29-3:6. All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God – Psalm 97(98):1, 3-6. John 1:29-34.
Grow and change
The first letter of St John reminds us that we are children of God. This is a great thought to sweep us into the new year. We all make resolutions, and they are a good thing, even if we can’t always live up to them. A New Year’s resolution is based on an acknowledgment that we can improve in some way: eat better, drink less alcohol, walk more, grumble less.
St John reminds us to balance that with a celebration of who we happen to be already, even with all our shortcomings. ‘We are already the children of God,’ even if we can be mean, petty, unappreciative or unforgiving. From a place of self-acceptance, we begin a journey into whatever the Lord has in mind for us this year: ‘what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed.’ Just because God has lavished so much love on us as we are does not mean we can’t grow and change.
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