Word to the Wise
Monday, June 22, 2015 - Monday in the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
[Gen 12:1-9 and Matt 7:1-5]The Lord said to Abram: "Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation...." [Genesis]
, JUNE 22 St. Thomas More, St. John Fisher, St. Paulinus of Nola]
Out of the mists and mysteries of time in the early chapters of Genesis, suddenly a figure emerges on the stage of God's drama of salvation. Abraham (he starts out as "Abram") responds to a voice that challenges him to trust in God and "go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house..." Christianity, Judaism and Islam all claim Abraham as a "father in faith."
It was no small thing to take all your family and possessions and go somewhere unknown, even if there's a promise that this action will result in greatness. Families that have moved often know the uncertainty, which impacts even the least member of the clan. The way some people react to my recent move to Lubbock, TX, you'd think I was Abraham's ghost! But we owe a great debt in faith to Abraham. He put aside any other deity or idol and focused only on that voice that told him to "go forth from the land of your kinsfolk...to a land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation."
This week, the first scriptures will introduce us to Abraham. This is not just a story of an ancient figure. It is our story, too. So, untie your camel and pack up your tent and come along! AMEN