The story is simple. God promised Abram (Abraham) that he would be the Father of a multitude of peoples. He and his wife, Sarai, were childless, and with growing age, a little impatient. Sarai offered her maidservant, Hagar, to Abram so that she may bear a child for them. That child, the firstborn of Abram, was called Ishmael.
But then came the problem. Hagar looked on Sarai with disdain, and Sarai became jealous and resentful. She abused her so much that Hagar ran away. The Lord's messenger found Hagar and told her to go back, even to the abusiveness, so that her son may receive the blessing of his father, and with the promise that "I will make your descendants so numerous that they will be too many to count ... for the Lord has heard you" she returned. She bore Abram a son, his firstborn, and named him Ishmael. Sarai conceived a son in her old age, and bore Abram a son named Isaac. In simple tradition, through Isaac came the Hebrew people ... through Ishmael came the Arab family. But both the sons of Sarai and Hagar received and became the source of blessings, and are Fathers to vast families.
For lots of reasons these families see each other as enemies, in opposition to each other. But they are children of Abraham, children of the promise, and in each is found blessing.
As children of Abraham as well, maybe we need to see that reality more clearly and strive to be "bridge builders". The world needs all of the blessings that it can find.
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Last evening at the Catholic Heart Work Camp gathering at our school, a number of us heard confessions in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Over three hundred are sharing the week, praying and helping those in need. The grace that flowed from the Sacrament last night was tremendous. My thanks to the kids who made this possible.
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