He chose us in Christ

NB I'm following the dating of the Prego material from St Beuno's Outreach so that the Reflection will match the reading. However, most of us will be celebrating the Solemnity of The Most Holy Name of Jesus this Sunday, for which the readings are:

Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21

Second Sunday after Christmas (3 January 2021)

Second Reading Ephesians 1: 3–6, 15–18

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence, determining that we should become his adopted children, through Jesus Christ for his own kind purposes, to make us praise the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved.

That will explain why I, having once heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus, and the love that you show towards all the saints, have never failed to remember you in my prayers and to thank God for you. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit.

See what hope his call holds for you

Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach

As I come to pray today, I take a deep breath and slowly release it acknowledging how I feel and slowly relaxing into the moment.

I then read the text above several times. Perhaps I need to stop and reflect after each section. It may be that for now, I can only focus on one paragraph.

How do I feel when I ponder on having been chosen to be God’s adopted child? How great is my faith and how much love do I show towards others?

Maybe I, too, want to ask the Lord for a spirit of wisdom and perception so I can support, heal and forgive others in the hope that they too can have a share in the Christmas spirit of love.

Before concluding my prayer I tell him about my particular needs just now and I listen. I thank him for his presence and help.