Following the Star 
Pause
What's in a name?
Jesus' name means “God saves.” That's a powerful message to be reminded of every time you hear the name.
Remember that God saves. Remember that God is with you. Remember that you are never alone.
Listen
When eight days had passed, Jesus’ parents circumcised him and gave him the name Jesus. This was the name given to him by the angel before he was conceived.
Luke 2:21
Think
Ritual and routines can become a bit tiresome and, well, boring from time to time. We find ourselves going to church and looking at our phone or the clock, hoping that it will be over soon. We find ourselves even wondering why we are doing this all anyway. What does it all have to do with my life?
Today we see that Jesus’ parents go through the rituals with their son, Jesus. They do the same things any Jewish family would do. It is a scene we have seen in our own church, with baptisms, with parents and family smiling and looking on with joy. It is a celebration of the gift of life, the gift of God’s love present in another member of the human family.
The routines and rituals become celebrations to us when we allow them to hold meaning for us. Think about how your church’s service of worship is meaningful for you. How does it help you to celebrate your life and the lives of those you love?
Andrew Kellner
Pray
God, please grant me the grace to engage fully in worship of you. Help me to see the richness of meaning in the rituals and routines of the Church. Amen.
Go
God sends you out in the world to be God’s love for all.
