Genesis 17:3-9 / John 8:51-59
Agreements made between two parties are usually formalized in a contract.
A contract binds the two parties to fulfill the contract.
And if the contract is broken by one party, then the other party will be able to ask for compensation.
On a personal level, usually we make promises, and we are obligated to keep our word and not to break the promise.
But in our human frailty and failings, we have broken our promises and our words no longer express our integrity and character.
In the 1st reading, God did not make a promise or a contract with Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham.
The basis of a covenant is a relationship, and it is God who established that relationship with Abraham and his descendants.
God is always faithful to His words and He will never break His covenant with us.
In the gospel, Jesus says that whoever keeps His word will never see death.
Jesus promises us that He is our Saviour and that He will save us from danger and from sin.
Let us believe in His word, for it is God who is saying it. And God will always keep His Word.