Abraham’s children by Cetura; his death and that of Ismael. Isaac hath Esau and Jacob twins. Esau selleth his first birthright to Jacob.
As children of the promise, we are sojourners and pilgrims in this world, with our minds set on our heavenly home. Let us work and ever keep our hearts set on the things that are above.
“Isaac, the son of the promise, was born in Abraham’s hundredth [year], because the blessing of the inheritance that is promised to all the families of the earth through his seed will doubtless be conferred in the heavenly homeland that is to come. [Abraham] sojourned a hundred years in the land of promise, because all of us who are made children of Abraham through faith ought to live as sojourners in the present church in hope of a heavenly inheritance. In this manner, ‘Isaac sowed in Gerar (which is interpreted as ‘residence [as an alien]’), and ‘in that same year he acquired a hundredfold,’ because as soon as we go forth from the body into the heavenly life, we receive back whatever good works we have done while sojourning in this life as children of the promise.” (4) -St. Bede
We often see God’s people fall into sin and Fr. Mike Schmitz commented: We say yes to other things over God because we look at the thing that is in front of us over God’s promises.
Keep God’s promises and the four last things always in mind.
“And Isaac besought the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and he heard him, and made Rebecca to conceive.” (Genesis Chapter 25:21)
God who is the giver of all life can choose any vessel which pleases him to do so, from the barren, to the old in age, to the virgin, all is done by his glorious will.
“These things are told for our benefit so that we may give evidence of much goodwill and not pry into God’s plans. Consequently the barren woman prepares the way for the virgin.” (4) -St. John Chrysostom
Discussion: With God, all things are possible. How have we seen this true in our own lives?
By their fruits you shall know them. (Matthew 7:16)
“For from the fruits of their works one part is known to be carnal, the other spiritual. For this reason, then, Scripture says, ‘The elder shall serve the younger,’ because the number of the wicked is always greater than that of the good. So just like those two children in the womb of Rebekah, so these people will struggle in the womb of the church until judgment day, as we said above, while the proud resist the humble, while adulterers persecute the chaste, while drunkards whose number is infinite rail at the sober, while the envious rival the good, while robbers desire to destroy those who give alms like the irascible do the peaceable, and while the dissolute attempt to drag down to earth those who have a taste for heavenly things.” (4) -St. Caesarius
Catechism of the Catholic Church 2572 states:
Prayer restores man to God’s likeness and enables him to share in the power of God’s love that saves the multitude.
Women's Prayer Group In Christ 