11 August 201319th Sunday in Ordinary Time
His name is a mere mention in the Eucharistic prayer of the Mass, but his legacy is for all time. He is Abraham, “our father in faith.” We meet him in today’s passage from the Letter to the Hebrews. Because Hebrews focuses on the high priesthood of Jesus, the author of this sermon emphasizes certain aspects of Abraham’s faith, fidelity and “priesthood.” We extract three inspiring thoughts in particular.
He went out, not knowing where he was to go. Many of us walk a similar path as we embrace the daily unknowns of our journey. What is it that guides and sustains us? Is it a blind faith? Or rather do we see with the eyes of the heart, knowing as we do—and as Abraham did—that the one who leads us is trustworthy.
By faith he received power to beget a child, even though he was past the normal age. God does what is seemingly impossible. Not only is a child promised to Sarah, but descendants as numerous as the stars. God will deliver in ways even more wonderful than we can hope or imagine. How does God “beget” new life in and through us?By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. We are reassured by the outcome of this familiar story, but certainly it is the ultimate test of fidelity. Hebrews reminds us that God also is faithful to us, giving up his own son that we might have life in abundance.
God planted seeds of faith in the heart of Abraham, and we, his descendants, have inherited this legacy of faith and trust. We take many leaps of faith throughout our day–perhaps more than we even realize –but there is one certainty: we are always tethered to the heart of God.
Lord, we believe. Help our unbelief.
The author, Ms. Barbara Gawle, leads Bible studies at her parish, Incarnation Church of Wethersfield, CT. She is a CBS graduate and the 2012 recipient of the Biblical School's highest award, The Lawrence Boadt Memorial Medal.
