The Jesse Tree Series:Offering of Issac: Friday of the first week of Advent.

THE JESSE TREE SERIES

What does Friday of the first week of Advent entail for our Jesse Tree:

OFFERING OF ISAAC

SCRIPTURE: Gen 22:1-19.

Chapter 22 of Genesis is the story of the offering of Isaac by Abraham.

One last time the faith of Abraham is put to the test.  God asks him to offer his only son in sacrifice.  Abraham’s faith and obedience are absolute.  The narrative condemns the sacrifice of children which was the custom in Canaan, and it established the ritual prescription of the redemption of the first-born children of Israel by a sacrifice; like all first fruits, the first-born belongs to God and they must not be sacrificed by redeemed by a sacrifice.

This chapter is important because the Fathers and the liturgy saw in this sacrifice of Isaac the type of the passion of Christ, the only Son. John 3 and Romans 8 exemplify this view.

Abraham gives us the example of obedience.  We may wish to pray to ‘our father in faith’, so that we too may be given the grace to break the resistance of our erring wills and to follow through all circumstances the straight line of God’s commandments.

 THE PERSON: ISAAC: Isaac was the only son of Abraham. He trusted his father Abraham, despite being bound by his father to be the sacrifice.  Isaac knew firsthand the faith and obedience of his father  to God. It almost cost him his life.


THE EVENT/THEME: THE OFFERING OF ISAAC: During our reflection time today, let us ponder on the bravery and trustful attitude of Isaac. We may wish to

1.            Offer a prayer for courage: that we may be brave and trusting of God in the face of adversity and death.

2.            Rediscover our child-like (not childish) faith and trust in God.

3.            Make a practical commitment: As today's theme is the offering of Isaac, we may wish to offer a sacrifice to God throughout today (attend Mass, fast or miss one meal purposefully, go without something that we like to do). As we offer our sacrifice, let us keep in mind/assist children who are abused by their parents, asking God to heal them from the trauma and the parents/adult who abused them who also is in need of healing.

Let us also offer a sacrifice for ourselves that we may be obedient to what God asks of us, regardless of the perceived difficulty.

SYMBOL 6: RAM

The ram is the symbol of Christ who was offered as a holocaust for our sins.  God spared Isaac and Abraham offered a ran to symbolise that God spares us and saves us through the offering of Christ.

Let us recall Isaac and the offering that God asked Abraham to make of his only son. as we prepare our sixth symbol (fifth cut out symbol) and place it on the tree.