April 7
Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Robert Sr., Phyllis & Kris Reid / Family
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
Genesis 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
Psalms 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
R. (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.
Gospel Acclamation
Psalms 95:8
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!
Gospel
John 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.
“The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.”
Reflection
Genesis 17: God’s promises to Abraham in total! The Lord assures Abraham he will be his God and the God of all who abide in this covenant...and the Lord remembers this covenant. ow consoling it should be for us that though we are often unfaithful or choose our own path at times, the Lord is always faithful. He cannot deny himself (2 Tim 2:13). He goes to great lengths to assure us of this, and it is easy for us to take it for granted. Hence Jesus’ shedding light on Abraham for the Pharisees before him.
Jesus: “Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.”
The earliest commentators in the Church offer beautiful insight to this passage that Jesus is inviting us back to Genesis 22 and the Sacrifice or Binding of Isaac.
They trust that by grace, Abraham saw the glory of the Lord, the Paschal Lamb who was caught in the thicket on that day alongside Isaac (cf. Gen 22:13). Rather than have Abraham follow through with offering the life of his own dearest (and only!) son on whom rested the continuation of the covenant, the Lord himself intervened. The Lord who would ultimately not ask Abraham for the life of his son would eventually take it upon himself to offer the life of His Only Begotten Son for our salvation and not spare him for our sake. The perfect sacrifice, though nearly impossible for us to fathom this kind of love. Abraham “rejoiced” (NB: Greek: also exceedingly glad, exulted, triumphed) to see this. Wouldn’t you? If you’re Abraham, filled with faith and trust in the Lord, and then have revealed to you the true Sacrifice by which the Lord would extend his ultimate love to us—of course you would then be courageous to go and follow wherever he leads.
We know the fidelity of the Lord, but we are hesitant to trust. We might know this fidelity in our head, but do we know it in our heart? We are hesitant to trust. Why? What is our fear? What is the root of, or where does it come from, this anxiety?
Such subtle detail, but in Genesis 22 the ram that replaces Isaac, was caught in the thorns. Soon we will see Jesus crowned with thorns, willingly submitting himself to offer his life for our salvation.
The Lord remembers his covenant forever.
Peace,
Fr. Foley
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