Why does the Church celebrate the Naming and Circumcision of Jesus, a significant rite of passage for male Jewish babies, but nonetheless an event to which Luke devotes but a single purely factual sentence in his Gospel, in fact, little more than an aside?
I wonder where you are at the moment in life: In a storm, or worried about one coming over the horizon, or maybe you find yourself enjoying a moment of calm and tranquillity – (I was hugely blessed with a moment like that on my retreat the other week. A time of peace.)
Wherever you are, in peaceful, uncertain or stormy waters, Jesus is with us in the boat. He has the power and the compassion to take care of us.
And that representation has stood the test of time. So, what is the doctrine of the Trinity? It can be summed up in three statements:
There is only one God
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is each God
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are not the same
Today’s Gospel reading is the second parable with a shepherding theme set out in chapter 10 of John’s Gospel. Jesus is arguing with those described by John as ‘the Jews’. The first[1] is the parable about the shepherd entering the sheepfold through the door, whereas anybody climbing in otherwise is a thief and robber. This parable was not understood by his audience, so he went on to tell them the parable we heard today.
Be joyful today because God has told us a little of the mystery – as we repent and believe in Jesus Christ, we will come to share in His resurrection. Death will have no sting because it has been swallowed up in the victory of the resurrection and the life everlasting. Amen.
What’s in a name?
I wonder if you like your name. A lot of thought goes into the name parents give a new born child.
I’d love to know how many names Alex and Adam went through before deciding on the name for their new arrival, Mia!
All names carry meaning, and always the meaning is personal. Sometimes the meaning is obvious too:
Angel. Hope. Gifty. Grace.
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