Tuesday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

The entire Bible paints the picture of human strife as one large extended family feud. All of salvation history can be summed up in the idea of God reuniting His wayward family. This theme of a family feud is not simply the case regarding Israel and the nations (Egypt, Babylon, etc.), but also
within Israel itself. Before Israel was a nation, their ancestors were the Hebrew tribe. Abram and Lot were members of the same family, but Lot's men and Abram's men were not getting along. Abram stepped in and asked for the family to be split up, to separate in order to end the quarrels.

His attitude toward Lot, however, is quite instructive for us. Abram seeks to end the strife between the two groups within the single tribal family. He allows Lot to choose the richest part of the land, whereas Abram would dwell in the rougher part. This attitude continues in the biblical narrative, perhaps reaching its culmination with Abraham's desire to save the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah wherein he intercedes on their behalf, particularly to save Lot and his family from destruction.

How often do we prefer the better portion of something? Abram, the great man of faith, in today's first reading provides us with a model of how to think of others before ourselves. We need to learn to be a people who wishes that others have the better portion. For, in wishing and working for others to have the better portion, we, like Abram, faithfully follow God.

Perhaps we can think of an area in our own lives where we have become somewhat selfish. Let's take some time to reflect on ways in which we may become less selfish and more selfless like Abram.

-Jeff Morrow