On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant... – Genesis 17:9

Way back in college, we had this requirement in Basic Accounting to submit a fully accomplished Practice Set. A Practice Set is a compilation of different accounting documents. We were tasked to perform an actual recording of transactions based on these documents and prepare financial statements. The Practice Set formed part of our final grade.
      Doing the Practice Set was not that easy but it was manageable. I was able to finish it ahead of schedule and my classmates knew that. Some of them would ask for my help in solving the problems they encountered while doing the Practice Set. However, there was this one classmate of mine who wanted to copy everything that I did. I refused.
      She resented me for that.
      To be able to get a passing mark, one has to work for it. The professor cannot give us a good grade if we do not do our part. God made a covenant with the Israelites. He told them what He would do for them (Genesis 17:4-8) if they kept their part of the bargain also and that was to keep His covenant. Are we doing our part? Judith C.

REFLECTION:
What can you do today to make a difference?

May I not neglect to do my part and run the race.

Genesis 17:3-9

The change in name of Abram to Abraham is already a sign that the salvation that God will eventually bring to the earth in His Son, Jesus, is not just salvation for the Jews, but salvation for all people. How do we see this? Simply by looking at the name change for ‘father of a (singular)’ nation to ‘father of the (many) nations’. It could not be any simpler than that!
  
3 When Abram prostrated himself, God continued to speak to him: 4 “My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations. 5 No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations. 6 I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you. 7 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. 8 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.” 9 God also said to Abraham: “On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

P S A L M

Psalm 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9

R: The Lord remembers his covenant for ever.

4 Look to the LORD in his strength; seek to serve him constantly. 5 Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought, his  portents, and the judgments he has uttered. (R) 6 You descendants of Abraham, his servants, sons of Jacob, his chosen ones! 7 He, the LORD, is our God; throughout the earth his judgments prevail. (R) 8 He remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand generations — 9 which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac. (R)

G O S P E L

John 8:51-59

The only true glory is the glory attached to the Kingdom of God. After all, if we are not ultimately members of the Kingdom of God, our life is going to be totally devoid of all glory that matters. So many people today seek the acclaim of others and the glory of the world. This is all passing away and ultimately meaningless. The only thing that matters is whether or not we are preparing ourselves for life in the Kingdom of God.

51 “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” 52 [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.’ 53 Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? Or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?” 54 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.’ 55 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. 56 Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57 So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?” 58 Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.” 59 So they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.

my reflections
think: The only true glory is the glory attached to the Kingdom of God.

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God’s special verse/thought for me today________________

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T O D A Y ’ S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: ____________________________________

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READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 Kings 14-16

“Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death” (Jn 8:51).The guarantee of everlasting life for anyone who believes in Him is a constant theme in Jesus’ teaching. As Christians we all know that the moment we receive Christ we are already assured of life eternal. But life that has no end is not just something that can be confirmed when we pass from this life to the next. There are human experiences on earth that are clear proofs that when we keep the word of God we really gain life. Take the issue of forgiveness for example. Haven’t you noticed how those who refuse to forgive suffer some sort of “death”? I met a man who came to me after being released from prison a few years back. He said the first years inside the prison were the most difficult—not because of the seclusion, but because during all those times he had nothing in his heart but hatred and evil plans against the ones responsible for his wrongful incarceration. And that somehow made his life really miserable. Can you imagine living your life with nothing but hatred in your heart? That must really be very difficult—for the person himself and the ones around him. When his moment of conversion came—when he heeded Jesus’ exhortation, he said, “I started to live again when I decided to forgive.”
      The same is experienced by someone who refuses to listen to Jesus’ words regarding storing riches on earth. A principle that is characterized by accumulation where one is out to acquire as much as he can get is a recipe for a difficult life. For much of his supposed life he would just find ways how to protect what he has stored for himself. Can you imagine living a life in constant fear of people who may be out to get what you say you have worked so hard to accumulate? There would definitely be sleepless nights just worrying about how to set your security measures. A wonderful and liberating life can only be possible if one goes by the norm of Christ whose principle is radical sharing “where no man dares to have too much while others have too little, where every man must get only to give away” (W. Barclay).
      Jesus’ words provide us with ways how to attain life. Heed his commands and you will surely and really live. Fr. Sandy V. E.

REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you truly living?

Teach me Lord to live life to the full and to never experience death.

St. Gwynllyw, hermit, pray for us.