Thoughts on Genesis 12-22
The testing of Abraham by the Lord is a story of true, unquestioning faith and love of the Lord. This is exactly what the Lord is asking of His people; to give everything to Him, trusting Him. The Lord said “Take your son, your only begotten son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. (Gen. 22: 2)” He is asking Abraham to not only offer the one thing that he loved most as a burnt offering, but to trust in Him fully. The Lord tells Abraham to go to Moriah, but does not tell him which mountain he should go to, rather states that he will give him further direction. This takes a great amount of faith on the part of Abraham. Abraham however, does not fail, he takes his son and two others and sets off for Moriah to get further instruction, and to offer his beloved son to the Lord.
As I read those words, it causes me to take a deeper look into my own life. What is the Lord asking? Is he asking me to follow Him more closely, to ask fewer questions and follow His will more directly? I often find myself asking questions or wondering why, rather than just loving and following the Lord. When I ponder the story of Abraham, I am taken with an example of true love and trust in the Lord, that He will always give direction when needed and not leave us. It becomes apparent that I need to trust the Lord with that same kind of pure love that Abraham did.
It is most important to make all the things in life focused on serving and loving the Lord. Make the Lord a priority above all other things. It is when one gives every aspect of life over to the Lord, without reservation and without question that the Lord shows himself fully.
It is a glorious gift given to each follower of Christ to be able to be able to go to the altar and receive the Son of the Lord in the Eucharist. Through the Lord’s sacrifice of His son for the human person, one can truly experience His love. In order to receive Christ in the Eucharist, we must be willing to give everything to the Lord through Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is through the grace of the Lord that the human person is able to experience this love through these sacraments. Are we willing to climb the mountain and fully trust in the Lord?
