Friday June 26, 2009

Friday June 26, 2009 of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time
Scripture Readings: Genesis 17: 1, 9-10, 15-22 Psalm 128: 1-5 Matthew 8: 1-4
Psalm Response: “See how the Lord blesses those who fear Him”

When we read this episode in the life of Abram, there are several points of theology made clear in the script.
First, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham. We wonder what the significance of adding “AH” to Abram’s name might be. Both Abram and Abraham mean “the father of many nations” in the Hebrew from which it is taken.(ab-hamo). Further, God places an extraordinary blessing on those whom He changes their name. Sarai becomes Sarah;
Jacob becomes Israel; Simon becomes Peter are the most significant.
Suffices to say, the promise of a son who will generate nations seemed improbable to both Sarah and Abraham due to their age at 100 and 90 as possible candidates for conception. We however, forget Who’s in charge. Age make no difference to God. As Scripture says, God can create followers from strewn rocks if He wanted to.
So the laughter of Sarah and Abraham coincidently becomes the name of their son, Isaac.
We are the subjects of God. He’s in charge. When ever we decide to allow Him to be the instigator of our heritage, blessings will multiply as did those to Abraham and Sarah.

The response engenders awe. We do not fear the Lord in the sense of “Afraid” but rather, knowing He knows what is best for us we crater to His will and become vassals, as we should.

Jesus finishes His mountaintop discourses, with such power, the throngs recognize He is more than just a prophet. They do Him homage and a leper pleads for healing. Jesus touches Him; heals the scourge and sends him to the Priests to offer the typical gift at the Altar of God in accordance to the traditions in place at the time.
Christ shows us the way when we are to become like Him to His people. To touch a leper, under the law subjected the toucher to unclean status, requiring the toucher to be subject to being made clean. However, Christ’s touch cleanses the leper therefore He need not be contaminated.
We need to recognize the power of prayer in the healing process when medicine and doctors seem to fail. It is the power of God. Use it!