Saturday December 23rd: What’s in a name?

“What will this child turn out to be?”

Luke 1:57 – 66

My mother had eight children. When she wanted to call a particular child, she would often call all eight names. When no one responded, she would then call the name she really wanted and would exclaim, “You knew, it was you I was calling!”

Whether that was true or not, what is important is the reality that a name speaks to our identity. A sense of identity is important for all. It helps us to answer that important life question, “Who am I?” It is the same question in today’s scripture passage, “What will this child turn out to be?”

John the Baptist became the forerunner of Jesus. By virtue of our baptism, God has plans for all our children and for us, too. Whatever we maybe now, God’s power can change us.
As parents, as we call their names, we must always believe that our children can be committed, caring, and compassionate like John the Baptist. These qualities will eventually lead them to become men and women of integrity.