Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith. Romans 4:13
I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God. But whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. Luke 12:8-9
PietyO Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be if I keep on my selfish and materialistic ways? Just as you fulfilled the wishes of Abraham, receive my petitions, offered to you with total confidence, humility and trust. Help me to follow the faith of Abraham. Change me for your purpose. Just as you grant to us all that is good, may we respond obediently to all that you ask of us, no matter how difficult the test, just as Abraham was willing to give up the finest gift you had given to him. Amen.
Studyhttp://www.usccb.org/nab/102007.shtml
Everything starts with faith.
Righteousness and justice start with faith.
Salvation starts with faith.
Community starts with faith.
Relationships start with faith.
We are a nation of laws. Do this. Don’t do that. Read the sign. Do not pass “Go;” Do not collect $200. Yet long before the angel appeared to Mary, long before Jesus was born in a stable, long before the disciples were chosen, we had a model of faith. That model was Abraham. He is the first of the line of Judeo-Christian patriarchs found in the Hebrew Bible.
According to Shellie Warren, Abraham is the first person in the Bible to have a dialog with God. Although God spoke to others, Abraham was the first person to make a request of his Creator.
Even with all that God had done for him, there was something else that Abraham felt would make his life happier and more complete. Communicating this fact with God was not about not being grateful for what he did have, but about wanting to pursue what he did not, in hopes that the Father would make a way.
Abraham was bold enough to ask for an heir and God not only granted him that wish, but went above and beyond the request and made his heirs as numerous as the stars in the heavens. Abraham asked him. God did it.
“When we are living a life in consistent communication and submissive humility to God, He delights in our requests---no matter how personal or impossible they may seem to us or others,” adds
Based upon such a close personal relationship with God, Abraham now fulfilled his responsibilities toward his friend who granted him such a priceless gift. Abraham did not act the way he did because there was some law that told him what to do. He did not have an office lined with the West Law books. He did not search the Internet for commentary and options. God asked him. Abraham did it.
It’s one thing to do the right thing when everyone is watching. But what happens when we are alone? Abraham knew that “There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known.” So he always acted as if the community was his witness and history relied upon his actions in order to fulfill the covenant for the Lord remembers his covenant forever.
The relationship is not the end. It is the beginning. Abraham believed, hoping against hope. In Genesis 15, the Lord heard his cries and promised Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars. Today, Luke extends that covenant beyond this world and into the Kingdom: I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God.
Abraham was severely tested and he always relied upon faith. The near sacrifice of his son, Isaac, shows us that Abraham set out to obey God’s commandments without questioning.
Are we capable of such obedience? Are we not more likely to try to bargain with God in order to minimize the price that we have to pay? Do we act more like Abraham or like someone trying to buy a used car for the lowest cost?
What do you need to ask of your Lord today? Ask for it in trust.
What is one area where you can be more obedient to God? Do it with humility and confidence.
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