Florida Council of Catholic Women/Province of Miami at P. O. Box 1811, Labelle, FL 33975 US - SARAH
| SARAH |
Sarah is the first matriarch of Israel. Her story is found in Genesis:12-18. According to Scripture, Sarah was a beautiful woman who married Abraham. During a time of great famine, Sarah and Abraham traveled to Egypt where Abraham told the Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister. Abraham received sheep, oxen, donkeys and slaves in exchange for Sarah, whom the Pharaoh took as his wife. God saved Sarah by inflicting plagues upon the Pharaoh and his house. When the Pharaoh realized the truth, he confronted Abraham, and returned his wife Sarah to him. In the Hebrew culture, barrenness was one of the greatest afflictions that could befall anyone and Sarah was barren until she was ninety years old. Unable to conceive, Sarah gave Hagar, her Egyptian slave girl, to Abraham as a surrogate mother. Hagar bore a son, Ishmael. In Genesis:17, God tells Abraham that Sarah and he will have a child. Abraham falls on his face laughing. But God answers, "Your wife Sarah shall bear a son and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. Asfor Ishmael, I will bless him and make him a great nation.” When Sarah overhears this conversation, she laughs to herself saying, "After I have grown old and my husband is old... ?” Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age. What can women learn from Sarah? One lesson is to treat others as equals and another is to wait patiently for God to act in our lives. DISCUSSION STARTER: Sarah had a wonderfid sense of humor. If you were Sarah, would you have laughed if you found out you were pregnant at ninety years of age? Why is laughter good medicine for the soul? How can laughter help you deal with stress and grow spiritually? PRAYER EXPERIENCE: Listen as God speaks to you of the wonderful blessings that are awaiting you. Be aware that God holds you close and nurtures you with tenderness and love.