Sunday of the Forefathers—Abraham Our Father in Faith

Brothers and sisters in Christ—

                Today, we celebrate the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers.  This Sunday commemorates all the saints of the Old Testament that lived before the time of the Law.  These heroes of the people of Israel are examples of virtue for us.  The Holy Scripture tells us about the life of these saints and their virtues.

                First of all, we begin with the example of our father in the faith, Abraham.  In the history of Israel, the faith of Abraham is incomparable, since God gave a great promise to Abraham, and Abraham believed God, even though there was no hope, as the Holy Apostle Paul tells us: “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and left to the land that he was to receive as an inheritance. He went, not knowing where he was going.  By faith, he dwelt as a stranger in the promised land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs along with him of the same promise…By faith, Abraham, subjected to a test, offered Isaac in sacrifice.  He offered in sacrifice his only-begotten son, the one to whom the promise had been given, of whom it was said: “Through Isaac will your descendants be born.” Abraham was thinking that God had the power to raise the dead, and thus he received Isaac back as a symbol.” Also, in another place, the Apostle speaks to us about the faith of this great man, when he says: “Does the one who grants you the Spirit and works miracles among you do it because of works of the Law, or because you believed in the Gospel? Just as “Abraham believed in God, and this was credited to him as righteousness,” understand that only those who believe are true sons of Abraham.  Therefore, the Scripture, foreseeing that in the future, God would justify the wicked by faith, gave to Abraham this good news: In you will all the nations find blessing.  Thus, therefore, those that believe are blessed with faithful Abraham.”

                Here we have a description of Abraham’s faith, and also the reward of that faith.  God calls us to strive for this faith with the same confidence and zeal.  Abraham’s faith is limitless confidence in God and in His intentions and plans for our lives, as the Apostle Paul says: “Abraham awaited a city with firm foundations, whose builder and founder was God.  By faith, Sarah also received the power to conceive, although she was already advanced in years, since she considered the One, who made the promise, to be faithful.  Therefore, from one man, and that one as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, without number.  All those died in faith, not having received the fulfillment of the promises; they only saw and welcomed them from afar, knowing that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth.”

                In order to have the faith of Abraham, we have to embrace the obedience and the hope of this great saint.  Once we form the habit of hearing the Word of God and obeying it, then our confidence will grow, as we sense that His intentions develop in our life according to His loving plan, since when we sense that God loves us, then indeed our confidence is limitless.  Now, during the time of this fast, we ought to remember the great sign of God’s love for us—the gift of His only-begotten Son.  In this sign, we have the greatest confidence in God, since He has loved us with the greatest love.