The birth of a child in not a private affair. It is not just the baby and the mother, or with the parents alone.
Generally speaking, it is a family event as well as a social event because relatives and friends and neighbours will certainly want to see the baby.
The underlying excitement in all this is that the birth of every child gives hope to the human race and a sign that God wants the human race to multiply and not terminate.
Hence, with the birth of the child comes another important occasion which is the naming of the child.
Zachariah and Elizabeth gave a surprise name to their baby son and they called him "John" which means "God is gracious"
Putting it in the words of the 1st reading, this grace is to "turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of the children towards their fathers".
In other words it is the grace of reconciliation, because at Christmas Jesus came to us so that we can turn back to the Father.
May we cleanse our hearts of sin and evil and prepare ourselves for the gracious coming of our Lord.
Generally speaking, it is a family event as well as a social event because relatives and friends and neighbours will certainly want to see the baby.
The underlying excitement in all this is that the birth of every child gives hope to the human race and a sign that God wants the human race to multiply and not terminate.
Hence, with the birth of the child comes another important occasion which is the naming of the child.
Zachariah and Elizabeth gave a surprise name to their baby son and they called him "John" which means "God is gracious"
Putting it in the words of the 1st reading, this grace is to "turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the hearts of the children towards their fathers".
In other words it is the grace of reconciliation, because at Christmas Jesus came to us so that we can turn back to the Father.
May we cleanse our hearts of sin and evil and prepare ourselves for the gracious coming of our Lord.