536. How is Abraham a model of prayer? (part 2 continuation)
(Comp 536 repetition) Abraham is a model of prayer because he walked in the presence of God,
heard and obeyed him. His prayer was a battle of faith because he continued to
believe in the fidelity of God even in times of trial. Besides, after having
received in his own tent the visit of the Lord who confided his plan to him,
Abraham dared to intercede for sinners with bold confidence.
“In brief”
(CCC 2592) The prayer of
Abraham and Jacob is presented as a battle of faith marked by trust in God's
faithfulness and by certitude in the victory promised to perseverance.
To deepen and
explain
(CCC 2572) As a final stage
in the purification of his faith, Abraham, "who had received the
promises" (Heb 11:17) is asked to sacrifice the son God had given him.
Abraham's faith does not weaken (“God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt
offering."), for he "considered that God was able to raise men even
from the dead" (Gen 22:8; Heb 11:19) and so the father of believers is
conformed to the likeness of the Father who will not spare his own Son but wiLl
deliver him up for us all (Rom 8:32). Prayer restores man to God's likeness and
enables him to share in the power of God's love that saves the multitude (Cf.
Rom 8:16-21).
Reflection
(CCC 2573) God renews his
promise to Jacob, the ancestor of the twelve tribes of Israel (Cf. Gen
28:10-22). Before confronting his elder brother Esau, Jacob wrestles all night
with a mysterious figure who refuses to reveal his name, but he blesses him
before leaving him at dawn. From this account, the spiritual tradition of the
Church has retained the symbol of prayer as a battle of faith and as the
triumph of perseverance (Cf. Gen 32:24-30; Lk 18:1-8). [END]
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