Trusting, Believing and Following the Lord to Freedom

In today's first reading, Gen 22: 1b-19,  God challenges Abraham's distorted thinking that he had to sacrifice the first fruits of his offspring to God.  Believing this cultural tradition, Abraham takes his son Isaac to a place where he intends to sacrifice him to the Lord. As Abraham approaches the place of sacrifice, he places wood on his son's back and continues the journey, leaving his servants behind at that point.  Isaac says to his father:  "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"  Abraham replies:  "God himself will provide the sheep for the burnt offering."  And God does so, stopping Abraham from harming his son at the very point at which he is about to kill him!  God sends a messenger from heaven who calls out:  "Abraham, Abraham!...Do not lay your hand on the boy...Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God,  since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son."  Abraham looks about and sees a ram caught by his horns in a thicket!

What do we learn about God from this passage? 

• That God knows our thoughts even before we do!
• That God provides for our needs
• That God tests our faith in many ways
• That God uses even our distorted thinking to reveal Himself and His will for us
• That God will and can stop us from engaging in wrongdoing
• That God challenges our distortions and guides us to the truth
• That God frees us from the power of Satan

Based on this passage from Genesis 22: 1b-19, how am I, are you, to live our lives?

• Trusting the in Lord, as Abraham did
• Realizing that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow
• Following God's way, being cautious of the ego's power to mislead us into doing what is contrary to God's will, though what we are contemplating looks like the right thing to do
• Remembering that God will provide for all our needs and that the sacrifice God desires of us is the one we remember during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: Jesus' life, suffering, death and resurrection as well as our own