Wednesday of the
Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 15:1-12.17-18; Matthew 7:15-20)
In order to stem the tide of divorce, some American
couples have entered “covenant marriages.”
This is an agreement that the two parties will seek counseling before marriage
and will limit their grounds for divorce once married. The arrangement takes the name “covenant” from
the type of relationship between Abram and the Lord witnessed in the first
reading today.
The terms of the covenant require Abram to be faithful to
God. As long as he maintains that faith,
he can be assured of the Lord’s fulfilling His promise. History bears out how God has magnificently done
so. Abram has had innumerable
descendants. Today they include not only
the millions of Jews throughout the world, but the billions of Christians and
Muslims as well.
We have entered into a new covenant with God through
Jesus Christ. By being baptized in his
name we become heirs to a new land. We
will inherit heaven with the resurrection from the dead. But this legacy can be lost if we stop believing
in him.
