As we move deeper into the Fifth Week of Lent, the atmosphere of our liturgical journey begins to shift. We are no longer just looking at the disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving in a general sense. Instead, the Church begins to sharpen our focus on the person of Jesus Christ and the deep, ancient roots of the promise He came to fulfill.
Today, Thursday, March 26, 2026, the readings bring us face-to-face with a concept that is central to our faith but often hard to grasp in our modern, fast-paced world: the "everlasting covenant." In a world where contracts are broken, subscriptions are canceled, and "forever" often feels like a marketing slogan, God’s Word offers us something radically different.
The Name and the Promise: Genesis 17:3-9
The first reading today takes us back to the desert, to a man named Abram. We find him in a moment of total vulnerability and awe. When God speaks to him, Abram doesn't just nod or take notes; he falls prostrate. He hits the ground because he realizes he is in the presence of the Almighty.
In this moment, God does something life-changing. He changes Abram’s name to Abraham. In the biblical tradition, a name change isn't just a new label; it’s a new identity and a new mission. Abram meant "exalted father," but Abraham means "father of a multitude."
God makes a staggering promise: "I will make you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you. I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you."
Think about the weight of that word: everlasting.
God wasn't offering Abraham a temporary deal based on good behavior. He was establishing a permanent relationship that would span generations, centuries, and even the end of time itself. This covenant was built on God’s own fidelity, not on man’s perfection. Abraham was called to keep the covenant by walking in God's ways, but the foundation of the promise was God’s own "I will."
The "I AM" in the Midst of Conflict: John 8:51-59
When we turn to the Gospel of John today, we see the tension rising in Jerusalem. Jesus is speaking to people who take great pride in being "children of Abraham." They understand the covenant in a historical and biological sense, but they are struggling to see the Living God standing right in front of them.
Jesus makes a promise that sounds even more radical than the one God made to Abraham: "Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever keeps my word will never see death."
The crowd is scandalized. They point out that Abraham died, and the prophets died. They ask, "Who do you make yourself out to be?"
The climax of the passage is one of the most powerful moments in all of Scripture. Jesus says to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM."
By using the phrase "I AM," Jesus is not just saying He is old. He is using the very name that God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. He is claiming to be the eternal God who spoke to Abraham in the first place. Jesus is the author of the covenant, the one who initiated the promise to Abraham, and the one who has now come in the flesh to bring that promise to its ultimate fulfillment.
The Jews picked up stones to throw at Him because they recognized exactly what He was saying. He was claiming divinity. He was claiming to be the source of the everlasting life that the covenant promised.
Finding Security in God’s Word
For us today, these readings are an invitation to find our security in the same place Abraham did. In our daily lives, we deal with so much uncertainty. We worry about our health, our families, our finances, and the state of the world. We live in a "throwaway culture" where things are built to break and relationships can often feel fragile.
The "Everlasting Covenant" tells us that there is one thing that will never break: God’s commitment to you.
In Psalm 105, which we pray today, we repeat the refrain: "The Lord remembers his covenant forever." This isn't because God has a good memory; it’s because His nature is love and His word is truth. When God makes a promise, it is as good as done.
During Lent, we are reminded that even when we are unfaithful, God remains faithful. The covenant was eventually sealed not with the blood of goats or the sign of circumcision, but with the Precious Blood of Jesus on the Cross. That is the "New and Eternal Covenant" we hear about at every single Mass. It is a bond that death itself could not break.
The Living Covenant: The Society of St. Peter the Apostle
At The Pontifical Mission Societies, we see this "everlasting covenant" in action every single day, specifically through the work of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle (SPA).
If God promised Abraham that he would be the father of a multitude of nations, that promise is being fulfilled right now in the mission lands of Africa, Asia, and Oceania. When the Gospel reaches a new village or a new heart, the "family of Abraham" grows.
But for the Gospel to be preached, and for the New Covenant to be celebrated in the Eucharist, we need priests. We need religious brothers and sisters who have been formed in the heart of the Church to serve their own people.
This is the core mission of the Society of St. Peter the Apostle. Founded by Stephanie and Jeanne Bigard in 1889, SPA focuses on supporting the formation of local, indigenous clergy and religious in mission territories. You can learn more about this vital work here: https://pontificalmissions.org/who-we-are/the-society-of-st.-peter-the-apostle.
When you support SPA, you are directly participating in God’s everlasting covenant. How?
- Subsidies for Seminaries: By helping to build and maintain seminaries in mission lands, you are ensuring that there is a "spiritual home" where the next generation of Church leaders can be formed.
- Scholarships for Educators: By providing funding for priests and sisters to receive advanced degrees, you are making sure the "educational" aspect of our faith remains strong, allowing them to return to their home dioceses to teach others.
- A Chain of Faith: Just as the promise passed from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob, your support helps pass the faith from this generation to the next in places where the Church is young and growing.
These seminarians and novices are the new "children of Abraham." They are the ones who will stand in their communities and proclaim, just as Jesus did, that God is the great "I AM" who offers eternal life to everyone who believes.
Lent: A Time to Renew Our Place in the Covenant
As we approach Holy Week, it is a beautiful time to reflect on our own baptismal covenant. In Baptism, we were grafted into this "everlasting pact." We were given a new name, Christian, and a new mission to be lights in the world.
Lent isn't just about giving things up; it’s about taking things up. It’s about taking up our role in the story of salvation. It’s about asking ourselves: How am I living as a child of the covenant? Do I trust in God’s promises as much as Abraham did? Do I recognize Jesus as the "I AM" in my own life?
One of the best ways to renew our covenantal commitment is through almsgiving that has a lasting impact. When we give to the missions, we aren't just making a donation; we are making an investment in the Kingdom of God. We are helping to ensure that the "everlasting pact" reaches the ends of the earth.
A Prayer for the Mission
As we reflect on these powerful readings from Genesis and the Gospel of John, let us conclude by turning our hearts toward those who are currently in formation to serve the Church.
Today, let’s pray for the seminarians and novices in mission territories.
These young men and women have left everything to follow the call of the "I AM." In many cases, they are studying in difficult conditions, far from their families, in areas where the Church faces poverty or even persecution.
May they always trust in God's promises as Abraham did. May they never be discouraged by the "stones" that the world might throw their way. And may they boldly proclaim the truth of Christ, the great "I AM," to the world, bringing the light of the Gospel to every nation, just as God promised our father in faith so many thousands of years ago.
The covenant never ends because God’s love never ends. Today, let us walk in that confidence, knowing that we are held in the hands of the God who remembers His promises forever.
If you feel called to support the formation of local priests and religious in the missions, please visit our page for the Society of St. Peter the Apostle to see how you can help. Your prayers and your gifts are the bridge that carries the promise of Abraham into the future of the Church.