Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 22:1b-19; Matthew 9:1-8)
In the Shrine of St.
Martin de Porres in Puerto Rico a compelling mural covers the back wall. The mural portrays in abstract style the story
related in today’s first reading. It features the angel and Abraham who is
about to kill his son Isaac. One hand of
the angel points upward signaling a message from God and the other is raised palm
up hand telling Abraham to stop. The mural
is said to symbolize the sacrifice of the Mass.
Thomas Aquinas calls Isaac a “type of Christ.” As Isaac was
to be sacrificed to demonstrate Abraham’s faith in God, God himself allowed his
own Son to be sacrificed to atone for the sins of the world. His sacrifice on the cross was anticipated
and prefigured at the meal Jesus shared with his disciples the night before he
died. It was God’s way of showing
solidarity with humanity that became hopelessly lost because of sin.
The idea of God ordering a father to kill his son disturbs
many people. “Is not God violating His
own natural law?” they ask. But God did
not allow the sacrifice of Isaac to take place.
God was acting as a judge testing Abraham’s fidelity, not as a tyrant
seeking blood. God loves His Son
infinitely more than Abraham can love Isaac.
He loves all of us like He loves Christ.
For this reason He sent Christ to the world to die for our salvation.
