St. Abraham’s Story Time

History

In the fifteenth century English translation of the Golden Legend, a famous medieval storybook of saints, translator William Caxton writes that it was customary for the churches in his time to read the story of Abraham the Patriarch once a year. In this way, the people would have an opportunity to be reminded of their spiritual father and his faith in Christ.

While this particular tradition was not originally associated with October 9th—Caxton actually describes it taking place in the spring—the Western Church together with many others has preserved the custom of commemorating Abraham in October. And so it seems fitting that the tradition of reading the story of Abraham once a year be observed on this day.

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St. Abraham’s Story Time

In keeping with the annual custom of reading the story of Abraham and in keeping with the Lutheran Confessions’ description of how the saints ought to be commemorated, we would recommend that you spend time on this day reading the story of Abraham together with your household so that your faith may be strengthened by his example.

For readers who are able to do so, it would certainly be appropriate to read chapters 12 through 25 of Genesis, where the story of Abraham’s life is told by Moses. If your household is full of advanced readers, this might be a worthwhile endeavor.

For those whose households include younger readers or those who for whatever reason are not able to make it through those thirteen chapters of Genesis at once, there are plenty of other options! After all, the Golden Legend referenced earlier didn’t merely reproduce the text of Genesis; rather, it gave a summary of Abraham’s life that could be read in church once a year to commemorate him.

For those whose reading ability might be more elementary, consider checking to see if you have a Bible storybook that contains the story of Abraham and Sarah. If you’re looking to pick up something special for the occasion, Concordia Publishing House offers this children’s storybook that tells the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac, which would be perfect for early readers or those who need to be read to.

Regardless of which form of Abraham’s story you choose to read, we pray that your household will be blessed by this opportunity to remember our father Abraham and his faith in God’s promises!