This Week in Focus

Today’s readings call us to faith, hope, and trust in God. The first reminds us that the people of the Exodus expected their deliverance from Egypt; they trusted in God’s promise. In the Letter to the Hebrews, we are reminded that Abraham, in his old age, set out by faith for a foreign land in answer to God’s call. Sarah, long past child-bearing years, conceived because she believed in God’s faithfulness. In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells his disciples (and us!), “Do not be afraid, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Jesus knows how much we need hope.

I am reminded of my friend’s Aunt Faustina, 87, whose memory failed her in her final years, but whose faith, hope, and trust in God remained unshakable. With child—like simplicity, she told strangers, “God loves you and so do I.” One day her doctor asked her to write a sentence. Laboriously she wrote, “God made us and told us to love each other.” Words she lived by! Two days later, as she said goodnight, she told her niece, “You won’t see me tomorrow. I’m going home.” The Lord came for her that night.

May all of us today joyfully proclaim with the psalmist, “Blessed the people the Lord has chosen as his heritage.” God promises us eternal life…and God stands by God’s promises.

Barbara D'Artois