Dear Friends,
Not a few Christians today would leave their life of comfort and
security for a life of poverty and instability. Only those who have infinite
trust in Divine Province could ever undertake such a bold move; for faith in
God provides us with the hope and courage to dare to risk everything that is
good and worthwhile in this world. Abraham trusted beyond doubt and was
given entire lands and properties far beyond his imagining.
God told Abraham, the rich man, to leave one day the comfort and
security of his life in Ur in Chaldea, the cultured and civilized city of
his home, to travel to a land in the wilderness, which God will show him. It
would be a land of scarcity where amenities will be lacking and comfort and
security unknown. He was to turn his back on everything and embrace
suffering, insecurity, and darkness with blind faith. Who could obey such a
stern command unless there is valid reason to do so? Unlike other souls who
would just turn and walk away, Abraham followed and did what God commanded.
Several times in his journey in the desert, Abraham fell and
committed a number of blunders. This did not discourage him in the lease but
rather made him rely more on God’s word. God promised in return to reward
Abraham for his fidelity. He will be the father of nations. He will be a
father of the womb that will heal the suffering and death of the people of
God. It shall be a salvation from suffering and death through the suffering
and death of the "offspring of the Woman".(Gen. 3:15). But the suffering is
for a reason, a purpose. It was not mainly to be a physical death, but above
all a spiritual one. It was the suffering and death of the ego, the self
will and the human reason; the suffering of the good, strong minded and
strong willed man who had the wisdom to trust the Lord’s Will with all his
heart, and lean not on his own understanding (Prov: 3:5).
Abraham was to suffer even the most painful ordeal – when the
very reason for enduring all his suffering was tested. Isaac, his only
beloved son who was to be the key to the realization of God’s promise to
make him the father of nations, was to be killed and scarified to the Father
in heaven. What a painful blow to a father who longed so much to have a son!
It seemed unreasonable to be finally given a child and then to be asked to
have him sacrificed! What sheer madness! But Abraham went even against this
very human reaction. Yes, he loved Isaac enough to suffer anything for him,
but his love for God went far beyond his own son. And God saw all this. In
Abraham’s heart nothing ever mattered except the will of God, and he follow
with joy and willingness to gave him the greatest pleasure. With such
generosity, God was pleased with Abraham and blessed him even more. No
wonder Abraham is called the "Father of faith".
" To talk about accepting suffering in theory is easy, but to
actually practice in reality is difficult" (Fr. Edgardo).
Bensilal Chacko,
DE, USA.
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