Homily: Fifth Thursday of Lent

Fifth Thursday of Lent (Genesis 17: 3-9) “Laughing Stock”

Abraham was chosen by God to be our father in faith. He and Sarah are said to be the parents of the followers of three great religions: Judaism, Christianity and Muslims. This is a very important fact for the followers of these religions. It shows the ancient nature of our heritage. It also reminds everyone that we believe in the same God.

We read about his call of Abraham in the reading from Genesis today. There are several stories in Genesis about Abraham making a covenant with God. In the story we read at Mass today, Abraham meets God face to face and falls down prostrating himself before the Lord.

This could remind us of what happens on Good Friday. The priest enters for the service and the first thing that he does is lay face down outside the sanctuary. A bishop or priest or deacon will also lie prostrate in the sanctuary in the ordination rites. This is a sign that they are abandoning themselves to God. Whatever God asks they will do.

Abraham abandons himself to God. He says he will follow God’s plan by his action, but one important detail is left out of the story which could cause us to think about how we feel about God’s plans. In Genesis 17:17 after God tells Abraham that Sarah will bear a son it says Abraham prostrated himself and “laughed.” Abraham felt that he and Sarah were too old to have children.

At certain moments in our faith walk we may be asked by those we know to take on responsibilities in the church that we think are beyond our capabilities. At such time we may want to laugh out loud as Abraham did. We read in another part of Genesis how Sarah also laughs about a possible pregnancy.

We know how the story turns out. Sarah does become pregnant and has the son God has predicted. Abraham and Sarah name their son Isaac which means “to laugh.”

Reflection Questions:

1.    Did I know Abraham laughed at God’s plan? How do I feel about that?

2.   Do I trust God with my life? How might I learn to trust more?

 Dear Parishioners,

           We still have prayer cards available with the names of First Communion students on them. We are asking people to pray for our second graders as they approach their first reception of the Eucharist. We want to encourage people to feel connected to each other.

          Sacraments are communal prayer. Too often sacraments are treated like they are a private matter. If we have a relative who is receiving First Communion we are interested, if not, we aren’t.

          We are all part of the Body of Christ. We are all the people of God. It is reassuring to have over 40 children who will be receiving First Eucharist. But they need our support. Our world is a difficult place for children to grow up. They need community, our community, to support them. Grab a card and pray for a child the next time you come to Mass.

          May Our Lady pray for the victims of violence.

          Fr. Mark