Name Day: June 24
“On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child and were going to name him Zechariah after his father. But his mother said, ‘No; he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name.’ Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And all of them were amazed.”—Luke 1:59-63.
If your name is John or a derivative of it, June 24 is your name day. We also celebrate it as the birthday of John the Baptist. In some countries, such as Greece, this is even more important than your regular birthday. When our daughter, Joanna, and her dad were in Greece on her name day, their guide, Maria, did not charge them for taking them around that day. When others heard it was her name day, they gave her gifts.
Just as important as this name day is to our family is the remembrance that June 24 is the birthday of Bob, or “Dede,” my husband’s father, who showed our children and me so much unconditional love and care. Increasingly, I find it necessary to remember the people who taught us about unconditional love. We can feel the love they brought into our lives as we remember them.
Consider learning about your name, its origin, and even your name day.
On June 24, I also remember my grandparents, Joe and Anna, because I was named after them. Again, they taught me about unconditional love. I was the “apple of their eye.” They loved me no matter what I did. They did not always condone my actions, but they still loved the sinner. Through their love, I learned about God’s unconditional love.
Honor and remember those who have brought the presence of love into your life. My experience is that by bringing them back into our memory, we can still feel that love, even if they are no longer with us and now live in eternal life.
The God of my understanding does not give us this love only to withdraw it at death. Love lives on. Love never dies.
Joanna. https://www.joannaseibert.com/