Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, painting by Giovanni Lanfranco

Child

The Adoration of the Magi (Matthew 2:11-13)

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’

Did you know…

  • that newborn giraffes are able to stand up, walk around and even run away from predators within hours of birth?
  • that at birth, human babies are thought to be less well developed than babies of other species, meaning human babies are more vulnerable and need more looking after?
  • that, according to the charity Shelter, there were 274,000 homeless people in England in 2021? That’s more than five times the population of Winchester City.
  • that 34% of adults (one in three) and 42% of younger adults aged 16 to 29 years, experienced high levels of anxiety in 2022 according to the Office for National statistics?

Have you ever…?

  • felt helpless and vulnerable? How long did that feeling last? What effect did it have on you?
  • wondered why God may have chosen to take the form of a vulnerable new-born baby?
  • thought about how many of the people you come across may be feeling vulnerable and why?
  • tried to reach out to others who are vulnerable even when you yourself were feeling vulnerable? What difference did your vulnerability make?

You might like to…

  • think how you can give to the vulnerable and helpless through volunteering your time and skills or donating to a charity.
  • read William Blake’s The Lamb
  • listen to a musical interpretation of Blake’s poem, John Tavener’s The Lamb.

Would you would like to hear from others who have felt vulnerable, or who have cared for the vulnerable, speaking on how their Christian faith has helped them? If so, come to our short talk at 10 am at St Paul’s on Saturday 27 January 2024.