PROMISES, PROMISES
“God said to Abraham: For your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.” - Genesis 17:9
Promises make the world go round; it keeps our society running. Our laws are promises between people and the government, agreements to meet up with a friend is a promise, a contract to pay off a loan is also a promise. Sure, some may have dire consequences and some are light-hearted like a New Year’s resolution to yourself, but they are all some abstraction of this idea of a promise, whether socially, morally, or even financially. These promises may be kept because you care for someone or perhaps because you fear the consequences, but inevitably, some promises get broken as well. Maybe you forgot to wash the dishes, perhaps you were emotionally unavailable to hang out, or maybe you are at a point where you no longer have the capacity to care.
And sometimes, that’s okay. We are human beings. We cannot do everything, and we inevitably make mistakes. Luckily, God understands this fact as our Father and our creator. He kept His promise and sent us Jesus, sent us the Holy Spirit, but He knows we are not perfect. But as we enter into Holy Week, we are reminded in today’s readings that just as God made a covenant, a promise, to Abraham and all of his descendants, all He asked is that we keep our promise to God. It does not have to be grand, but He asks us to be present and honor Him, especially during this upcoming week. During these special days leading up to the Easter Triduum, we can fulfill our promise to God and honor Him. Even a simple prayer of thanksgiving and offering up the day to God each morning can be enough to not only bring us closer to God and keep our covenant with Him, but it will prepare us for what is to come, the summit of our faith, Christ’s resurrection.
Whether we are the best promise keeper in the world or the weakest, let us offer up our most sincere efforts to keep a promise with God. Wherever we are in our lives, even if all we can offer is the smallest of prayers or a full dedication to attend mass each day leading up to Easter, let us create a small promise to God to try our best to honor God’s timeless covenant with us.
God, I offer up whatever time I am capable of for You. Allow me those moments of peace so I may be fully present with You so I can continue to honor my promise with You, to dedicate myself and honor You with all my heart, mind, and soul.
Kevin Nguyen