Post-feast of the Nativity of the Mother of God; Holy and Righteous Forebears of God Joachim and Anna; the Holy Martyr Severian (321-23)
Galatians 3:15-22; Mark 6:7-13
Read Galatians 3:15-22
God foreseeing our fall had a plan from the very beginning of creation. Right from the fall of humanity, God began to make known his promise to the world that he will bring about a Saviour (Gen 3:15). The foreshadowing of the Saviour is again found in the promises made to Abraham—1. God would make of him a great nation; 2. Give him land; 3. All the families of the earth will be blessed in him. (Gen 12:1-3).
St. Paul reminds the Galatians that these promises are not superseded or annulled by the Mosaic Law, but that they continue on and are ultimately fulfilled in the ‘one’ offspring of Abraham’s lineage: Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Through Jesus God opens the doors to the eternal Kingdom, which is without borders and open to all regardless of race. It is through Jesus that the Heavenly Kingdom becomes an inheritance for all those who receive and love him. It is through Jesus that the eternal blessing and love of God is shared with all families of the earth. Finally, it is through Jesus that those who are not of Abraham’s biological lineage become part of his family through faith and union with Christ.