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
Psalm 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
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.
REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
TITLE: DEAD ENDS AND THE LIVE END
"Whom do You make Yourself out to be?" –John 8:53
"Abraham is dead. The prophets are dead" (Jn 8:52). Buddha is dead. Mohammed is dead. Caesar is dead. Nations, societies, and civilizations are dead. Everyone is dead or on the threshold of death except for Jesus, "the Resurrection and the Life" (Jn 11:25).
Jesus alone holds "the keys of death and the nether world" (Rv 1:18). Consequently, Jesus is not merely a great leader, wise man, or the most significant figure in history. Jesus rose by His own power. This means Jesus is God. He was proclaimed "Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness, by His Resurrection from the dead" (Rm 1:4). Therefore, Jesus alone can say: "I solemnly declare it: before Abraham came to be, I AM" (Jn 8:58).
Therefore, Christianity is not just another religion. It is the only religion directly founded by Christ, Who is God. Because of this, the Church is not just another human institution; it is the body of Christ and the only body of Christ. Therefore, a Christian is just not the same as every other person. A Christian is a walking tabernacle, containing the treasure of Jesus Himself (2 Cor 4:7). "Because of this we no longer look on anyone in terms of mere human judgment. If at one time we so regarded Christ, we no longer know Him by this standard" (2 Cor 5:16).
Worship Christ, share His Gospel, love the Church (Eph 5:25), and reverence Christians as members of Christ's body.
PRAYER: Father, I will live in the freedom of knowing that Jesus will raise me from the dead.
PROMISE: "I will maintain My covenant with you and your descendants after you." –Gn 17:7
PRAISE: Martin did not return to drink when his wife died or when he lost his job. Jesus had indeed set him free (Jn 8:36).
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