Wednesday, XII Ordinary Time
(Genesis 15)
People say that sex sells. Just noting all the attention given to Paris Hilton, who could deny that truth? But fear also makes a successful salesman. Remember Karl Malden warning us a generation ago not to “leave home without them”? No doubt, American Express sold a treasury of travelers’ checks on that note of fear. In the first reading we see Abram exasperated by the fear of having to leave the virtual empire God promises him to an unrelated heir.
Fear often blinds us to our responsibilities. At one time fear drove people to seek quarantine, not assistance, for people with AIDS. Fearing the judgment of others, we can likewise falter in tasks that we normally accomplish with ease. How many times have we become tongue-tied when speaking to an authority figure when words normally flow out of our mouths like water from a tap?
God assures Abram that there is no need for fear. What is essential is that he have faith and then to do what is required of him. Faith provides the margin of accomplishment because it links us with the Almighty. It enables Abram to leave behind his homeland and then to let go of his complaint that he has no child heir. God calls on undreamt powers – the fire in the midst of darkness – to accomplish His will on Abram's behalf. Trusting in God we too cannot lose in the long run despite the setbacks we face. Jesus Christ – by far the brightest star in the firmament of Abraham’s descendents – has assured us of victory over death itself. But first, we have to put our faith in him through prayer.
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