Daily Readings - Thu Apr 07 2022
Genesis
3Abram fell prone on his face4And God said to him: "I AM, and my covenant is with you, and you will be the father of many nations5No longer will your name be called Abram. But you will be called Abraham, for I have established you as the father of many nations6And I will cause you to increase very greatly, and I will set you among the nations, and kings will come forth from you7And I will establish my covenant between me and you, and with your offspring after you in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be God to you and to your offspring after you8And I will give to you and to your offspring, the land of your sojourn, all the land of Canaan, as an eternal possession, and I will be their God.9Again God said to Abraham: "And you therefore shall keep my covenant, and your offspring after you in their generations
John
51Amen, amen, I say to you, if anyone will have kept my word, he will not see death for eternity.52Therefore, the Jews said: "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham is dead, and the Prophets; and yet you say, ‘If anyone will have kept my word, he shall not taste death for eternity.53Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. So who do you make yourself to be?54Jesus responded: "If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me. And you say about him that he is your God55And yet you have not known him. But I know him. And if I were to say that I do not know him, then I would be like you, a liar. But I know him, and I keep his word56Abraham, your father, rejoiced that he might see my day; he saw it and was glad.57And so the Jews said to him, "You have not yet reached fifty years, and you have seen Abraham?58Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham was made, I am.59Therefore, they took up stones to cast at him. But Jesus hid himself, and he departed from the temple
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of divine revelation. The first reading from Genesis describes the moment when Abram, a man of deep faith, is renamed Abraham by God. This name change signifies a covenant promise: Abraham will be the father of many nations, and God will be his God and the God of his descendants. The covenant is sealed with a promise of land and perpetual relationship, a bond that transcends generations. This moment is not just a personal promise but a universal one, as Abraham’s faith becomes the foundation of a people and a spiritual heritage that endures to this day.
In the Gospel, Jesus engages in a deeply theological conversation with the Jews, asserting that those who keep His word will never see death. This claim shocks His listeners, who question how someone they perceive as a contemporary could make such a statement, especially when their great ancestors like Abraham and the prophets have all died. Jesus responds by revealing His eternal nature, stating that before Abraham was, He is. This statement is a bold declaration of His divinity and His unity with the Father. For Jesus, the covenant with Abraham is not just a historical event but a living reality that finds its ultimate fulfillment in Himself.
These readings invite us to reflect on the nature of covenant and faith. Abraham trusted in God’s promise without fully understanding its scope, and his faith was reckoned as righteousness. Similarly, Jesus calls us to trust in His word, even when it challenges our limited understanding. The covenant with Abraham is not just a historical event but a spiritual reality that continues in us. As followers of Christ, we are called to live as children of the covenant, trusting in God’s promises and living in a way that reflects our identity as His people. Let us, like Abraham, rejoice in the day of the Lord, knowing that we are part of a story much larger than ourselves.