Abraham trusted totally in God's promise that the whole world would receive a blessing through him. As a result his descendants were as numerous as the myriad stars that shine in the dry, desert night skies. Those descendants are the men and women who have been saved through God's loving sacrifice of His own Son - a sacrifice that God did not ask of Abraham.

There is no doubt about God's loving desire to bring us to Himself. A self chosen desire for independence and autonomy may, however, lead us to reject God's desire for us. We may not shine among the stars. "May" is the important word.

Today's prayers and readings refer at least ten times to Son or Beloved Son. The whole atmosphere is one of care, love, hope and promise. As we receive Holy Communion we can simply and humbly ask for the grace to respond to God's loving approach. May we never reject his overtures to us, even at the cost of a seeming loss of the independence and autonomy which would leave us shining in proud isolation in an otherwise empty sky.