Abraham, Our Father in Faith

Abram followed in faith the path the Lord did choose;
Becoming the divinely chosen mediator of world-wide blessing.
Reaffirmed through sons Issac and Jacob, in a blessing to all nations;
Reminding man God keeps his promises through all generations.

Abram walked into Canaan, the Promised Land,
Intended for him, wife, Sarai and Lot.
There he quickly constructed some altars, thereby
Sanctifying the land as promised to God.

Abram “pitched his tent” in Canaan land.
Then famine forced Abram to move once again
Down into Egypt to sojourn there:
Pre-enacting Israel’s Exodus Journey.

Pharoah’s house is afflicted with plague,
Sending Abram’s family up from Egypt
Back to the land where altars and tents had been pitched.
There Abram once more praised Yahweh, his Lord.

Canaan land could not support both Abram and Lot.
Kinsmen though they be, strife spread in their house.
Lot, of his own free will, departs from the Promised Land;
Choosing corrupt city of Sodom; it looks so lush.

In the Canaan land of Bethel
God promises much land for Abram and his descendants.
Land as far as the eye could see-His second promise-
A promise from here later given to Jacob.

Abram builds an altar in Hebron, the hill country;
It later will be known as “south of Jerusalem”.
His descendants as promised will be numerous
Counted as much as the “dust of the earth.”

Lot’s family is not so fortunate:
He’s captured with all people east of the Jordan.
An escapee leads Abram and his men on a mission:
There, Lot and his possessions are found.

Melchizedek, king of righteousness, also is
A royal priestly Messiah, the pre-incarnate Christ.
At Salem (Jerusalem) he brings out bread and wine;
It’s in celebration of Abram’s military victory.

As Jesus will offer the bread and wine of Melchizedek
Christ’s body and blood too will be sacrificial and sacramental.
The Eucharistic Prayer we say today is
The same as that offered once to Yahweh, the Lord.