Children of Abraham

I had an interesting thing happen during prayer this morning.

I was praying the Catena, the prayer of the Legion of Mary, which contains an adaptation of Mary’s Magnificat. These words for some reason stood out to me today:

He protects Israel His servant,
remembering His mercy,
The mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons for ever.

And I thought, are Abraham’s sons just his Jewish descendants? Are Christians his sons and daughters?

Cut to the first reading for today, which I read immediately after, and which comes from Galatians 3:7-14:

Brothers and sisters:
Realize that it is those who have faith
who are children of Abraham.

Whoa! St. Paul continues:

Scripture, which saw in advance that God
would justify the Gentiles by faith,
foretold the good news to Abraham, saying,
Through you shall all the nations be blessed.
Consequently, those who have faith are blessed
along with Abraham who had faith.
For all who depend on works of the law are under a curse;
for it is written, Cursed be everyone
who does not persevere in doing all the things
written in the book of the law.
And that no one is justified before God by the law is clear,
for the one who is righteous by faith will live.
But the law does not depend on faith;
rather, the one who does these things will live by them.
Christ ransomed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us,
for it is written, Cursed be everyone who hangs on a tree,
that the blessing of Abraham might be extended
to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,
so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

So, there’s your answer. I do not know what it was in the Magnificat that drew my attention to wondering about Abraham’s children this morning, but I will credit my guardian angel for making me pay attention to something I ought to be paying attention to. Further, that is not the end of the story: I will return to these words and see what else God wants to bring out. And I am glad to know that by faith I am one of Abraham’s.