Thursday of the Fifth Week

Reflection
In Genesis 17, God is making a covenant with Abraham, not a pact or agreement or partnership, but a promise that God will maintain for thousands of generations. They/we will be God’s people and He will be our God. What does God’s promise mean, and what is our part?

We are to rely on the Lord and constantly seek His face. God’s people need to “recall His wondrous deeds, His signs and words of judgment,” and God will remember forever His covenant. God’s covenant with us throughout all generations is not about circumcision or ownership of land, but about His promise of faithfulness to His people. His people forget, worship false gods, and ignore God’s love and commandments, then and now.

Jesus comes to remind us, to bring us back to God, to teach us how to keep God’s word. He tells us who He is and what we need to remember. “Before Abraham came to be, I AM.” (John 8). He warns us that we do not know God, but Jesus does know Him and keeps His word. God is keeping His promise to be our God, but we are not doing our part of being His people, of following His commandments and loving God and our neighbor. Jesus lives among us to show us how to be God’s people, to do our part.

Prayer

May I see Your promise fulfilled in Jesus, my Lord and my God.

Jan Hancock, M ’12, P ’99, P ’09, Member of the Worshipping Community

Scripture

First Reading: Genesis 17:3-9
Psalm 105:4-9
Gospel: John 8:51-59

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website