Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

Readings of the Day

In today’s first reading, God creates his covenant with Abraham.  The Lord promises Abraham that “My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations. No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations”.

God also said to Abraham: “On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.”

And in the Gospel reading, Jesus said to the Jews: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.”   The Jews challenge Jesus saying, “Abraham dies, as did the prophets, yet you say, whoever keeps my word will never taste death?”  The Jews accuse Jesus of being possessed, and even throw stones at him.

The Jews in the Gospel reading really could not grasp the unique life of Jesus and his relationship with God, or the promises that he made.   The great promise between God and humanity began with Abraham and then with the ultimate promise of our salvation through Jesus, our savior.

What promises can we make to those clients we serve during this time of uncertainty and fear? 

The only promise that we can make is that we will continue to operate with love, respect and kindness, even if it may be remote, or from a distance of six feet.

Diane Elio has worked in the Catholic Charities network for over fifteen years, serving in the Dioceses of Denver, Colorado.  She currently serves as Catholic Charities USA’s Monitoring and Evaluation Manager for Project Comeback: TEXAS in response to 2017’s Hurricane Harvey.  

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