Remembering who we are means remembering we are God's
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
The days after the New Year’s ball drops in Times Square have always been a welcome time of decompressing for me, and a time when I can process all the wonderful moments of Christmas spent with my family.
During some quiet time in my favorite chair, with my little electric fireplace lighting the room, I realized that, this year, one of my best gifts ever came to me in the form of four simple words, written by strangers.
My long-time friend, Eileen, a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Old Bridge, sent me an email on Christmas Eve explaining that after reading a recent column I had written about the little church with the inviting sign, “Beloved of God, Welcome,” she shared with her pastor how much the story had touched her.
She continued, “… and now, coming home from my stocking stuffer run, I started to laugh and cry at the same moment when I approached St. Thomas Church and there, blazing on the highway for all to see, are the words: “Beloved of God, Welcome.”
To the email she had attached a photo, and when I opened it, it was me who was crying, for there, in the image of a large digital church sign was reflected the reason why I have been writing what I write for so many years – to help others remember they are God’s beloved.
Those four words inspired me many years ago so I wrote a column about them. The column inspired Eileen, whose words inspired her pastor, Msgr. Richard A. Behl, to make it possible for thousands of travelers passing a wonderful parish in the Diocese of Metuchen to be reminded they are God’s beloved, and they are welcomed in to the house of the Lord.
What better gift could there be?
We learn from the beginning of the Book of Genesis that God created all things with his Word. The psalmist reminds us, “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm (39).”
And as he created, God did something else that embodied the power of his Word – he named everything he created.
“God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ … God called the dome ‘sky’ … the dry land ‘earth,’ and the basin of water he called ‘sea.’”
With divine wisdom, God also renamed some of his children – changing Abram’s name to Abraham, father of many; Sarai to Sarah, princess of nations, and Jacob, the supplanter, to Israel, he who has struggled with God and man and won. In each case, their new name signified their true identity, their potential and their mission.
Even Jesus was named by God in a way that signified his nature and purpose. God spoke to Joseph through an angel who said, “… you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Today, it seems, we often forget who we really are. We embrace the names thrust on us because of our position, our limitations, our appearance or our failures – often to our detriment.
We are defined by rich, poor, successful, powerful, beautiful, addict, alcoholic, loser, and our behavior and our emotions are tied up in the words.
Too often we forget that we were already named by God – Beloved. When someone reminds us, and couples that reminder with Jesus’ invitation to “come to me,” as St. Thomas the Apostle Parish has done, we receive a gift of love that will forever change us.
Mary Morrell is managing editor of The Monitor.
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“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1
The days after the New Year’s ball drops in Times Square have always been a welcome time of decompressing for me, and a time when I can process all the wonderful moments of Christmas spent with my family.
During some quiet time in my favorite chair, with my little electric fireplace lighting the room, I realized that, this year, one of my best gifts ever came to me in the form of four simple words, written by strangers.
My long-time friend, Eileen, a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Old Bridge, sent me an email on Christmas Eve explaining that after reading a recent column I had written about the little church with the inviting sign, “Beloved of God, Welcome,” she shared with her pastor how much the story had touched her.
She continued, “… and now, coming home from my stocking stuffer run, I started to laugh and cry at the same moment when I approached St. Thomas Church and there, blazing on the highway for all to see, are the words: “Beloved of God, Welcome.”
To the email she had attached a photo, and when I opened it, it was me who was crying, for there, in the image of a large digital church sign was reflected the reason why I have been writing what I write for so many years – to help others remember they are God’s beloved.
Those four words inspired me many years ago so I wrote a column about them. The column inspired Eileen, whose words inspired her pastor, Msgr. Richard A. Behl, to make it possible for thousands of travelers passing a wonderful parish in the Diocese of Metuchen to be reminded they are God’s beloved, and they are welcomed in to the house of the Lord.
What better gift could there be?
We learn from the beginning of the Book of Genesis that God created all things with his Word. The psalmist reminds us, “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm (39).”
And as he created, God did something else that embodied the power of his Word – he named everything he created.
“God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ … God called the dome ‘sky’ … the dry land ‘earth,’ and the basin of water he called ‘sea.’”
With divine wisdom, God also renamed some of his children – changing Abram’s name to Abraham, father of many; Sarai to Sarah, princess of nations, and Jacob, the supplanter, to Israel, he who has struggled with God and man and won. In each case, their new name signified their true identity, their potential and their mission.
Even Jesus was named by God in a way that signified his nature and purpose. God spoke to Joseph through an angel who said, “… you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Today, it seems, we often forget who we really are. We embrace the names thrust on us because of our position, our limitations, our appearance or our failures – often to our detriment.
We are defined by rich, poor, successful, powerful, beautiful, addict, alcoholic, loser, and our behavior and our emotions are tied up in the words.
Too often we forget that we were already named by God – Beloved. When someone reminds us, and couples that reminder with Jesus’ invitation to “come to me,” as St. Thomas the Apostle Parish has done, we receive a gift of love that will forever change us.
Mary Morrell is managing editor of The Monitor.
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