The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate the relevance of the Covenant with Abraham to our invitation to a relationship with “I AM”.
The reading from the Book of Genesis proclaims the Covenant with Abraham.
* [17:1–27] The Priestly source gathers the major motifs of the story so far and sets them firmly within a covenant context; the word “covenant” occurs thirteen times. There are links to the covenant with Noah (v. 1 = 6:9; v. 7 = 9:9; v. 11 = 9:12–17). In this chapter, vv. 1–8 promise progeny and land; vv. 9–14 are instructions about circumcision; vv. 15–21 repeat the promise of a son to Sarah and distinguish this promise from that to Hagar; vv. 22–27 describe Abraham’s carrying out the commands. The Almighty: traditional rendering of Hebrew El Shaddai, which is P’s favorite designation of God in the period of the ancestors. Its etymology is uncertain, but its root meaning is probably “God, the One of the Mountains.”
* [17:5] Abram and Abraham are merely two forms of the same name, both meaning, “the father is exalted”; another variant form is Abiram (Nm 16:1; 1 Kgs 16:34). The additional -ha- in the form Abraham is explained by popular etymology as coming from ab-hamon goyim, “father of a multitude of nations.” (Genesis, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 105 praises God’s Faithfulness to Israel.
* [Psalm 105] A hymn to God who promised the land of Canaan to the holy people, cf. Ps 78; 106; 136. Israel is invited to praise and seek the presence of God (Ps 105:1–6), who is faithful to the promise of land to the ancestors (Ps 105:7–11). In every phase of the national story—the ancestors in the land of Canaan (Ps 105:12–15), Joseph in Egypt (Ps 105:16–22), Israel in Egypt (Ps 105:23–38), Israel in the desert on the way to Canaan (Ps 105:39–45)—God remained faithful, reiterating the promise of the land to successive servants. (Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB, n.d.)
In the Gospel of John, the Pharisees ask Jesus “Who do you claim to be?”
* [8:53] Are you greater than our father Abraham?: cf. Jn 4:12.
* [8:56] He saw it: this seems a reference to the birth of Isaac (Gn 17:7; 21:6), the beginning of the fulfillment of promises about Abraham’s seed.
* [8:57] The evidence of the third-century Bodmer Papyrus P75 and the first hand of Codex Sinaiticus indicates that the text originally read: “How can Abraham have seen you?”
* [8:58] Came to be, I AM: the Greek word used for “came to be” is the one used of all creation in the prologue, while the word used for “am” is the one reserved for the Logos. (John, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)
Vivian Amu comments that our names and identities change as our vocations change, as our families grow, as we age and transition through life stages. What if God has the same message for us as was told to Abraham? This may challenge us to re-evaluate our priorities and the sources from which we draw our sense of identity. Abraham was called to respond to a greater purpose, and he did respond.
In today's Gospel, Jesus identifies himself confidently, but he is confronted with skepticism and hostility. This mirrors the challenges we encounter today when striving to live authentically in alignment with our beliefs. There is pressure to conform and remain silent in the face of injustice or uncomfortable truths; there is a temptation to default to cynicism. This can be overwhelming, at least for many of us. Yet, when we reflect on Jesus's example of steadfastness, we find inspiration to stand firm in our convictions, even when faced with opposition. Today, we are encouraged to be courageous, hopeful, and be empowered to push back against the darkness and hostility that prevents us from embracing our identities in every way our identities intersect. Maybe we could find comfort in knowing that who we are and how we live stretches beyond historical context and the impermanence of life. Maybe we could
also find comfort in knowing that what really matters is who God says we are.
Merciful God, help us live out our faith in a way that has a positive ripple effect far beyond the present moment. Help us live fully, purposefully, and with certainty in our spiritual identities. Grant us a faith that acknowledges life's fragility and celebrates its divine promise. Amen. (Amu, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “Christ died that you might live,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"For you Christ allowed Himself to be crucified, to teach you humility. He was alive, and you were dead. He died that you might live. God vanquished death so that death might not overcome human beings." (excerpt from Sermon on John 2,4;14,13) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Genesis 17:3-9 asks us to imagine mapping out a spiritual family tree. It would be so different from the typical one that people use to trace their ancestors. Instead of showing descendants in a more or less direct line of succession from parents to children, the lines would be much more involved. They would connect family members, of course, but also friends, extended family, and even total strangers.
In prayer today, try mapping out your own spiritual genealogy. Write down the names of all the people who helped bring your faith alive. Include also the people whose faith has sustained you over the years. Then offer the Lord a prayer of thanksgiving and praise for all the ways he has used them to reach out to you.
“Lord, thank you for grafting me into the family tree of Abraham and Sarah!” (Meditation on Genesis 17:3-9, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that the Covenant proclaims the role of Abraham as the Father of Nations and that the Jewish people would be numerous. Paul, later, would proclaim Abraham as the Father of All Nations including pagans. Friar Jude notes that the declaration of the Pharisees of Jesus' blasphemy derives from His self identification as “I AM”, thereby equating Himself with God.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, considers how we might, like the desert mystics, develop inner freedom through practice and solitude. Peace of mind is an oxymoron. When we’re in our mind, we’re hardly ever at peace; when we’re at peace, we’re never only in our mind. The early Christian abbas and ammas knew this and first insisted on finding the inner rest and quiet necessary to tame the obsessive mind.
By solitude, the desert mystics didn’t mean mere privacy or protected space, although there is a need for that too. The desert mystics saw solitude, in Henri Nouwen’s, words,as “the place of conversion, the place where the old self dies and the new self is born, the place where the emergence of the new man and the new woman occurs.” [3] Solitude is a courageous encounter with our naked, most raw and real self, in the presence of pure love. Quite often this can happen right in the midst of human relationships and busy lives. (Rohr, n.d.)
We implore the Spirit to guide our acceptance of the invitation from “I AM” to live fully, purposefully, and with certainty in our spiritual identities.
References
Amu, V. (2025, April 10). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/041025.html
Genesis, CHAPTER 17 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/17?3
John, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/8?51
Meditation on Genesis 17:3-9. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/10/1244593/
Psalms, PSALM 105 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Bible Readings. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/105?4
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Cultivating Inner Freedom. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/cultivating-inner-freedom/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr10
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