John 1:12
But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God.
In the early 1980s, Cary Grant was in his 80s and was still healthy as a horse. A reporter asked him the secret of his longevity and he replied: “First, you have to pick your parents wisely.” Unfortunately, in our biological birth we don’t tend to have that option. However, in our spiritual birth we really do have a say in who our parents will be. To be sure, it is always God who initiates our relationship with him. His grace is always prior to our decision and is, in fact, the only thing that makes our decision possible. But we still really do have free will. And so, in an amazing act of humility, God permits us to “receive” his gift of Trinitarian life or not. If we do (and if we persist and abide in that life) we receive from him “power to become children of God.” We receive not only God as our Father and Jesus as our brother, we receive Mary as our Mother and the saints as our brothers and sisters. Today, receive him and receive all he cherishes. It is all your birthright in Christ.
