The WORD
today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/062817.cfm)
reminds me that I should trust God and his promise, even if it goes
against the obvious.
Sometimes, it is hard to
believe what God is telling us. Probably all of us can relate to Abram in the
first reading. God has been blessing him with a great livelihood, but he wants
something else – a son. Sounds familiar, when we have been blessed but still
want something else? Then God tells him that he will have a son, and a lot of
descendants at that! Probably in his mind, Abram thought yeah right, I’m old
already, so is my wife. And we have been trying for years.. yet here you are
telling me I’ll have descendants as numerous as the stars? However, Abram kept
the faith – and God saw it.
If God sees our faith, we will
see his miracles.
How about us? How many times do
we favour the obvious rather than God’s promise? How many times do we let the
disappointments and challenges in life bring us down, instead of holding on to
God’s promise of his great plans for us? How many times do we let the bad news
around us and the evil people defeat and bring us down, instead of keeping our
faith and trusting in God?
God sees if our faith is
genuine, and will reward us for it. In the reading he saw Abram’s profession of
faith and credited it as an act of righteousness. On the other hand, in the
gospel, we see that God also sees if we are wolves hidden in sheep’s clothing.
He sees if our faith is genuine, or if it’s superficial, and will reward us
accordingly.
May we learn to trust in God,
no matter what situation we may be in.
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for reminding me that I
should not be limited to what my senses see and what the world has to offer.
Lord, sorry for the times I am weak. Sorry for not trusting in you enough.
Sorry for not having a strong faith when challenges come. Lord, I pray that you
give me faith, faith that will be strong enough to trust in you even if what
you say seem to go against what is obvious. I know that nothing is impossible
with you and you are not limited by this world. May I always remember that and
live that. Amen.
Blessed
day!
In
Christ,
-g-
Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr
Lectionary: 373
Reading 1GN 15:1-12, 17-18
"Fear not, Abram!
I am your shield;
I will make your reward very great."
But Abram said,
"O Lord GOD, what good will your gifts be,
if I keep on being childless
and have as my heir the steward of my house, Eliezer?"
Abram continued,
"See, you have given me no offspring,
and so one of my servants will be my heir."
Then the word of the LORD came to him:
"No, that one shall not be your heir;
your own issue shall be your heir."
He took him outside and said:
"Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can.
Just so," he added, "shall your descendants be."
Abram put his faith in the LORD,
who credited it to him as an act of righteousness.
He then said to him,
"I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans
to give you this land as a possession."
"O Lord GOD," he asked,
"how am I to know that I shall possess it?"
He answered him,
"Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old she-goat,
a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon."
Abram brought him all these, split them in two,
and placed each half opposite the other;
but the birds he did not cut up.
Birds of prey swooped down on the carcasses,
but Abram stayed with them.
As the sun was about to set, a trance fell upon Abram,
and a deep, terrifying darkness enveloped him.
When the sun had set and it was dark,
there appeared a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch,
which passed between those pieces.
It was on that occasion that the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: "To your descendants I give this land,
from the Wadi of Egypt to the Great River the Euphrates."
Responsorial PsalmPS 105:1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8-9
or:
R. Alleluia.
Give thanks to the LORD, invoke his name;
make known among the nations his deeds.
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
R. The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
or:
R. Alleluia.
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.
or:
R. Alleluia.
AlleluiaJN 15:4A, 5B
Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord;
whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 7:15-20
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing,
but underneath are ravenous wolves.
By their fruits you will know them.
Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Just so, every good tree bears good fruit,
and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down
and thrown into the fire.
So by their fruits you will know them."
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