The Holy Martyrs Sabinus and Papas (284-305)
Great Fast Day 33. Abstention from meat and foods that contain meat. According to liturgical prescriptions, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated today.
Read
Sixth Hour – Isaiah 45:11-17
Presanctified – Genesis 22:1-18; Proverbs 17:17-18:5
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
What we read in today’s reading from Genesis seems absolutely impossible and unimaginable. How could a loving, kind, and good God ask one of His faithful servants to sacrifice his own child? How could God ask Abraham to sacrifice his only child, Isaac, a child he had waited to have for a very long time?
This question of “how could God do this” is one we may ask ourselves. How could God allow that person to suffer from cancer? How could He allow that person’s child to die? How could He permit this affliction in my life?
These events, which seem unimaginable and impossible, can elicit from us one of two responses. We can fall into despair, losing all faith in God and expressing only anger towards Him. Or, we can be like Abraham, who remained steadfast and faithful, trusting in God’s providence, believing that the Lord will provide.
Tribulation, affliction, sickness, and death are all crosses that we are called to carry at some point in our life. These crosses can seem unbearable and impossible. These crosses should never lead us away from God, but they rather, they should lead us closer to Him. For at the end of every cross, there is a Resurrection. And although we may not know or see that Resurrection yet, it is there so long as we are faithful to God.