Tuesday 24 June 2025
Birthday of John the Baptist
Isaiah 49:1-6. I praise you, for I am wonderfully made – Ps 138(139):1-3, 13-15. Acts 13:22-26. Luke 1:57-66, 80.
God is gracious
When we were expecting the arrivals of our children, I remember spending hours on the Internet searching for different names, looking up their meanings. We considered any number of different names, but one of the most important things we wanted was a name connected with the Christian tradition. It was important to us that our child might be inspired by their namesake’s faith.
John the Baptist, in today’s Reading, also has a name that connects him with God. His name, derived from the Hebrew, means ‘God is gracious’. The act of naming John is so powerful it miraculously restores his father’s voice.
The Reading speaks to just how important our names are in setting us up for our journey in life. So today we might pray in gratitude to those who named us, and reflect on the roads our names have set out for us.
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