Year A: Second Sunday of Lent

 First Reading: Genesis 12: 1-4a

The First Reading of the Second Sunday in Lent is always related to the call of Abraham - the father of the People of God.

Like Moses and Elijah in the Gospel, Abraham towers over the Hebrew Scriptures - his presence is felt as the one who took God at His word and went out into the wilderness in search of the Promised Land.

Abraham begins the story of God’s People - one man and his household - with God’s promise ringing in his ears “I will make you a great nation”. Abraham had no children at this time - but trusted what God said.

What he could not have imagined was how God would fulfil that promise. As a wanderer in the desert, he may have dreamt of a city - a place of stability and prosperity. He may have imagined a temple. He may have imagined lots of children.

When the Lord told Abram (his original name) to leave his country and family and go to the land he was to be shown - he could not have known that its boundaries would eventually reach far beyond any national boundaries and, indeed, into space. He could not have even begun to comprehend a "nation" that included people of all races - nationalities - in countries that he did not even know existed. He could not have known that one of his “descendants” would even, one day, read words from the Scriptures from a space-craft travelling in the heavens into which he had been told to gaze.

For Abram was working with a God who was only beginning to reveal Himself to humanity. God worked within the understanding of the people of each age - until the world was ready for Him to be revealed in humanity as human - in Jesus.

What does it mean for me?

What do you know of the story of Abraham and his importance to Christians, Jews and Muslims? Spend some time this week browsing through this section of Genesis and get to know - or reawaken your acquaintance with Abraham.

Text © 2007 Wellspring

| Gospel | First Reading | Second Reading |

  | Weekly Wellsprings |