"The Lord Remembers His Covenant For Ever"

Today's Mass Readings

It may seem that this theme of covenant is all-pervasive in today’s readings. Especially during this time of Lent, we recall God’s faithfulness to his people through all ages, from the beginning. The first passage, from Genesis, hence calls this to mind by telling the story of Abram (later Abraham). God promises to Abraham that he will keep the covenant forever, with all of Abraham’s descendants. This is meant to be a source of great hope, along with the psalm response, which explicitly remembers this covenant that God made with Abraham and Isaac. God has already done great things, but he ultimately fulfills his covenant through His Son Jesus. And yet we see in the gospel that Jesus is regularly challenged; he is not understood by all as the fulfillment of the covenant. Ultimately though, Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection reveal the full glory of God’s covenants with Abraham and beyond. God loves us so much that he fulfills his Covenant with us by making the sacrifice of his Son to save us from our sins.

As Palm Sunday approaches, and we prepare to share in Jesus’ passion ever more fully, let us remember just how much God cares for us, just how faithful God is to us. Let us strive to be just as faithful to him by showing care and concern and deepest love for ourselves, for our neighbors and for God.

Today's Psalm is a great help for prayer today:
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.

You descendants of Abraham, his servants,
sons of Jacob, his chosen ones!
He, the LORD, is our God;
throughout the earth his judgments prevail.

He remembers forever his covenant
which he made binding for a thousand generations—
Which he entered into with Abraham
and by his oath to Isaac.
(psalm 105)