Daily Meditation 1/1/11

you I have pardon, mercy, grace and victory over sin and death. You humbled
yourself for my sake and for the sake of all sinners by sharing in our
humanity and by dying on the cross. Help me to always praise your holy
name and to live for your greater glory.'
This reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager, whose website is located at: http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/'>Meditation: What's the significance of a name? For the Jewish
people the giving of a name had great importance. When a name was given
it represented what that person should be in the future. An unknown name
meant that someone could not be completely known. To not acknowledge someone's
name meant both denial of the person, destruction of their personality,
and change in their destiny. A person's name expressed the reality of his
or her being at its deepest level. A Jewish child was named at the time
of circumcision, eight days after birth. This rite was instituted by God
as an outward sign to single out those who belonged to the chosen people.
It was a sign of the covenant that God made with Abraham and his posterity.
In fulfilment of this precept, Mary's newborn child is given the name
Jesus
on the eighth day according to the Jewish custom. Joseph and Mary gave
the name Jesus because that is the name given by God's messenger
before Jesus was conceived in Mary's womb. This name signifies Jesus' identity
and his mission. The literal Hebrew means the Lord saves. Since
God alone can forgive sins, it is God who, in Jesus his eternal Son made
man will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).  In
the birth and naming of this child we see the wondrous design and plan
of God in giving us a Savior who would bring us grace, mercy, and freedom
from the power of sin and the fear of death. The name Jesus signifies
that the very name of God is present in the person of his Son who became
man for our salvation. Peter the Apostle exclaimed that there is no
other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved
(Acts 2:12). In the name of Jesus demons flee, cripples walk, the blind
see, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised. His name is exalted far above
every other name (Philippians 2:9-11). The name Jesus is at the
heart of all Christian prayer. It is through and in Jesus that we pray
to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. Many Christians have died
with one word on the lips, the name of Jesus. Do you exalt the name of
Jesus and pray with confidence in his name?
'Lord Jesus Christ, I exalt your name above every other name. For in
you I have pardon, mercy, grace and victory over sin and death. You humbled
yourself for my sake and for the sake of all sinners by sharing in our
humanity and by dying on the cross. Help me to always praise your holy
name and to live for your greater glory.'
This reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager, whose website is located at: http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings/

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5