Faithful Forever

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/102117.cfm) reminds me that God will always be faithful. 

In the first reading, God made a covenant to Abraham. God told Abraham that he will be the father of nations, that he will have a lot of descendants. This was not too easy for Abraham to believe. Why? Because when this happened, he was ninety-nine years old! To be told that he will be the father of nations was probably something he would not take seriously. However, Abraham had great faith – greater than the negative circumstances around him. He hoped against hope and trusted in God.

Good thing God really keeps his word!

We know that God kept his word and made a great nation from Abraham. God saw his faith and rewarded it. 

God keeps our covenant to us. He will keep his word – that he will take care of us, that he has great plans for us, that he will protect us, that he will love us. No matter what we are facing right now, God’s covenant still holds true. 

However, we need to keep our part of the covenant as well. Does this mean that God will only keep his part if we keep ours? Probably not… but if we wont keep our part, it’s like us saying we don’t want God to keep his part. IF we wont submit to his will, it will be hard for him to make his great plans for us come true. If we run away from him, it will be hard for him to protect us. IF we do not take care of ourself and others, it will be hard for God to take care of us. If we continue to sin and harden our hearts towards him, it will be hard for him to make his love alive in our lives, because we don’t allow God to love us.

The psalmist is right – the Lord remembers his covenant forever… he is faithful, so should we.

May remember how loving, powerful, and faithful God is, and may it give us inspiration to live rght and be faithful to him as well. 

 

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for reminding me that you will always be faithful to your covenant. I am sorry for the many times I broke my word to other people. I am sorry for the many times I broke my promises to you. Lord, I ask that you help me to be faithful to my word. Help me keep my promises – to other people and most especially, to you. Help me submit myself to your wlll. Help me be focused on you and on serving and loving you, and not to be distracted with the lies the world tells me. May I have great faith like Abraham, who focused on you and your word and not on his surroundings. May I be able to hope against hope and just trust in your word, especially when the situation tells me otherwise. Amen.

Blessed weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

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  October 21, 2017
Saturday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 472

Reading 1ROM 4:13, 16-18

Brothers and sisters:
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.
For this reason, it depends on faith, 
so that it may be a gift,
and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants,
not to those who only adhere to the law
but to those who follow the faith of Abraham,
who is the father of all of us, as it is written,
I have made you father of many nations.
He is our father in the sight of God,
in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead
and calls into being what does not exist.
He believed, hoping against hope,
that he would become the father of many nations,
according to what was said, Thus shall your descendants be.

Responsorial Psalm PS 105:6-7, 8-9, 42-43

R. (8a) 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.
For he remembered his holy word
to his servant Abraham.
And he led forth his people with joy;
with shouts of joy, his chosen ones.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

Alleluia JN 15:26B, 27A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Spirit of truth will testify to me, says the Lord,
and you also will testify.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 12:8-12

Jesus said to his disciples: 
"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.

"Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven,
but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit
will not be forgiven.
When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
do not worry about how or what your defense will be
or about what you are to say. 
For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say."