There are only a very few instances of God changing someone’s name in the Scriptures. Today we see the first of these in Genesis 17. Abram gets a new name. “Your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations.” This is pretty groundbreaking stuff, as Abraham and his wife had no children. In the Gospel reading from John 8, Jesus speaks of Abraham, saying, “Before Abraham came to be, I AM.” Needless to say, this didn’t sit too well with the Jews.
Jesus here reveals His eternal being. Not only was He around before Abraham, in fact He created Abraham! And everyone and everything before and since. This passage gives us a glimpse into the nature of the Trinity.
Jesus is the Author of Life. Isn’t it amazing to think that, as Catholics, we get to actually take the Author of Life, the One who created us, into our very bodies in the blessed Eucharist? When you think about it, it’s truly mind blowing! So many of us have not been able to receive the Eucharist for some time now. If you, like me, long to receive Jesus, the great I AM, in the Eucharist, think of Abraham and the prophets, who never got the chance in their lifetimes. And keep the faith, as they did. The hour will come when we can once again receive Him into our bodies. Keep the faith, my friend!
Father, thank you for the gift of your Son, present to us in the Eucharist. May we long for Him today, and reflect on the immensity of this each time we receive. Amen.
The ones I feel the most sorry for, are the Catholics who have deliberately walked away from the Church and the Holy Eucharist over the years, and could care less about what they’re missing.
Great words Gus. Thank you for your faith and service.