Venerable-Martyr Theodosia the Virgin (286-305).
Apostles’ Fast. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat.
Romans 4:13-25. Matthew 7:21-23.
Read Romans 4:13-25
St. Paul invites us to reflect on the importance of our faith in God. We are presented with the prototype image of Abraham the father of faith. Here is a man who is learning to trust God and be obedient. He hears God’s invitation to come follow Him by leaving family behind and moving to a foreign land. As he develops a relationship with God, Abraham is constantly reminded that he will be made into a great nation, but time is passes and his biological clock begins to expire. St. John Chrysostom says, “Abraham trusted God even though God gave him no proof, nor even a sign. Rather, there were only mere words promising things which by nature were impossible.” (Homilies on Romans 8.14).
Today, to live like Abraham we are invited to fully trust in what the Lord has done for us and has prepared for us in His Kingdom through His Son Jesus Christ. We are called to trust and have faith in the Resurrection, which by nature is impossible, but by the grace and power of God is already present and waiting for us. It is not enough to affirm this with an intellectual assent, but we must orient our life daily to the resurrection of the dead. This means that how I live my life matters. That my values and goals in life are an expression of my faith. My daily seeking of Christ in prayer and the fulfillment of his commandments are my first priority in life. This is why the Lord invites us to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness…” (Matt 6:33). And, just as in Abraham’s life, the Lord will provide all else that we need.