Seventy five years ago, the Farming Life newspaper carried news of my great-uncle Bill’s success at the 1951 Royal Ulster Agricultural Society’s Spring Show and Sale, which was held at Balmoral, Belfast:
“Aberdeen Angus Association’s Cup and Medal for the best heifer, two-year-old or yearling bred by an exhibitor resident in Ireland, WJ McConnell, Rathfriland – Sylvia of Cavan.”
Cavan is our townland in County Down and the name of our family farm is Cavan Hill. It was the passion of my grandfather, James, and his brother William (Bill) to breed Aberdeen Angus cattle and show them. In our family home are hardback copies of the official herd yearbooks and the wealth of information in them is incredible. These themselves are fascinating records and tell part of the history of our farm, especially when family are no longer here to tell and recall the story. Each year, pedigree cattle born were listed with their date of birth, dam (mum) and sire (father) along with their official names. Female names in the herd included Jessica of Cavan, Patsy of Cavan and Jessinina of Cavan; and males Rocko of Cavan, Penman of Cavan, Julian Eric of Cavan, Peerless of Cavan and Grandee of Cavan. My favourites though have to be Princess of Cavan and the Proud Prince of Cavan, the latter of which took his name from both his parents.
MNR was the code of the herd registered to WJ & JH McConnell, Cavan, Rathfriland, Co Down. These initials were tattooed onto the left ear of each animal in the herd to identify them. Even if sold on, you could still trace the animal back to its original owner
In the Bible, there is a reference in the Old Testament book of Isaiah that says God calls us by our names: ‘But now, this is what the LORD says – he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”’ (Isaiah 43:1).
God knows everything about us – even the very number of hairs on our head (Luke 12:7). He knows the individual pains we carry and the things that bring us joy in our lives. He knows not just the names of our parents and our grandparents – he knows everything about our ancestors. His knowledge of every human on planet earth is overwhelming – so too the love he has for everyone. In fact, for those who know and love him, he has engraved our names on the palm of his hand (Isaiah 49:16).
There is a very famous verse you might have read before or seen around the countryside: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16). By celebrating Easter Sunday last weekend, we remember the death of Jesus on the cross. When we believe that Jesus died and rose again for our sins, we can have eternal life and a place in heaven when we die. God made this redemption plan for us when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden.
In the last book of the Bible, Revelation, there is mention of the Lamb’s Book of Life – a heavenly register in which are inscribed the names of those who receive eternal salvation through trust and faith in Jesus (Revelation 13:8; 21:27). This book is much more important than any herd book or indeed any other book in the whole world. Will you put your trust and faith in Jesus so that your name will be recorded there?
