REFLECTION:

I’ve often heard that teachers really look forward to holidays. Yesterday, I found myself in that same position—I was looking forward to this break. After a busy week, it felt like a welcome opportunity to slow down a little. Even catching up with emails has been difficult with everything going on.

As the school enters its final quarter and here in the parish we arrive at the last days of Passiontide before Holy Week, it reminds us how important it is to pause, breathe, and reflect. Life has been moving quickly. There are many things on people’s minds: uncertainty about the future, teachers discerning contracts for the coming school year, students waiting to hear from colleges, and families navigating their responsibilities and hopes.

In moments like these, when so much feels uncertain, we naturally begin asking deeper questions. What does the future hold? Where is God in all of this? Can we trust that He is guiding us forward?

These are not new questions. In many ways, they are the same questions people have asked throughout history—even in the time of Abraham.

In the first reading from Genesis 17:3–9, Abraham finds himself standing before God with a future that is far from clear. God promises that he will become the father of many nations, yet at that moment Abraham is already old and the promise seems almost impossible. Still, Abraham responds with humility and trust. He falls on his face before God, believing that somehow God will fulfill His promise.

Then in the Gospel from John 8:51–59, Jesus speaks about Abraham, and the conversation suddenly becomes intense. The people take pride in being descendants of Abraham, but Jesus leads them to something even deeper. He declares, “Before Abraham came to be, I AM.”

With those words, Jesus reveals that the God who made the promise to Abraham is standing right in front of them.



And this is the heart of our reflection today: the same God who guided Abraham through uncertainty is the same God who continues to guide us today—especially as we approach Holy Week, when the fullness of His promise is revealed in Christ.