Children are blessings from God. During the time of Jesus, having children is very important for couples. A couple is incomplete if they don’t have children. That is why when God gave Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age, it was a big blessing. But not only that, as we see in the first reading that God promised Abraham that he will have many children.
God’s blessings can turn your life around.
The psalmist says that God remembers his covenant forever. And we see that fulfilled in the gospel during Jesus time, how people have high regard for Abraham. From having no children in their old age, God gave Abraham a lot of descendants, and great descendants at that. No matter how hopeless the situation may seem, God can do something about it. And when God moves, when he comes into or lives, he blesses us abundantly.
God wants us to keep our end of the covenant.
In the first reading, just as God promised all these things to Abraham, he asked Abraham to keep his end of the covenant and serve Him alone. He too is asking this from us. God is asking us to make him God in our lives, not because he needs it, but because he loves us so much, that he wants to give us a lot of things and blessings. However, we cannot handle these things if our hearts do not rest on Him. We will not be ready to receive his blessings if our eyes are not fixed on him.
May we be inspired to know how much God is generous and loving, and that he has a lot of blessings in store for us...and may this move us to serve God and him alone.
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another chance to experience your love. Thank you for all the blessings. Lord, I know I don’t deserve all these, but still you just love me so much that you continue to shower me with your love and blessings. I allow myself to experience your love and goodness. As I do, may it transform me to be more appreciative, to be more thankful, and may it make me love you more. Amen.
Blessed day!
In Christ,
-g-
-------------------------------------------------------
March 26, 2015
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 254
Reading 1 Gn 17:3-9
When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him:
“My covenant with you is this:
you are to become the father of a host of nations.
No longer shall you be called Abram;
your name shall be Abraham,
for I am making you the father of a host of nations.
I will render you exceedingly fertile;
I will make nations of you;
kings shall stem from you.
I will maintain my covenant with you
and your descendants after you
throughout the ages as an everlasting pact,
to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
I will give to you
and to your descendants after you
the land in which you are now staying,
the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession;
and I will be their God.”
God also said to Abraham:
“On your part, you and your descendants after you
must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”
Responsorial Psalm Ps 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9R. (8a)
The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations –
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
Verse Before the Gospel Ps 95:8
If today you hear his voice;
harden not your hearts.
Gospel Jn 8:51-59
Jesus said to the Jews:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
No comments:
Post a Comment