Friday of the Twenty-seventh Week in Ordinary Time [II]
Galatians 3:7-14  +  Luke 11:15-26
October 9, 2020

Realize that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham.

In today’s First Reading, Saint Paul preaches to the Galatians about the Old Testament patriarch Abraham.  In the Roman Canon of Holy Mass, we hear Abraham described as “our father in faith”.  It’s in this sense that St. Paul is describing Abraham in the First Reading.

Many virtues color the life of one who pursues God (or rather, who allows God to pursue him).  The three greatest of these are called “theological virtues” because each has a very direct connection to God.  Faith is the first of the theological virtues.  It’s not the greatest of the three, but its importance lies in its being foundational.  Faith is the bedrock on which the rest of the spiritual life is built.  Without true faith, one might as well build on sand.

Abraham is such a powerful example of the virtue of faith because of the way he teaches us how to sacrifice.  Often we are willing to make a sacrifice because we know we’re making a sort of trade, and that we’ll get something that in some way is better than what we’re sacrificing.  But religious sacrifice is rooted in faith.  A tremendous example of this is Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son.  Abraham’s willingness wasn’t based on getting something in return:  indeed, this sacrifice was nothing but profound loss for him!  His willingness was based on his faith in the One who asked him to make the sacrifice.