Never address your words to God
while you are thinking of
something else.
-- Teresa of Avila
Never address your words to God
while you are thinking of
something else.
-- Teresa of Avila
June 30, 2021
Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 379
Reading 1
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
Isaac grew, and on the day of the child’s weaning
Abraham held a great feast.
Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian
had borne to Abraham
playing with her son Isaac;
so she demanded of Abraham:
“Drive out that slave and her son!
No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance
with my son Isaac!”
Abraham was greatly distressed,
especially on account of his son Ishmael.
But God said to Abraham: “Do not be distressed about the boy
or about your slave woman.
Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you;
for it is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.
As for the son of the slave woman,
I will make a great nation of him also,
since he too is your offspring.”
Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water
and gave them to Hagar.
Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away.
As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba,
the water in the skin was used up.
So she put the child down under a shrub,
and then went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away;
for she said to herself, “Let me not watch to see the child die.”
As she sat opposite Ishmael, he began to cry.
God heard the boy’s cry,
and God’s messenger called to Hagar from heaven:
“What is the matter, Hagar?
Don’t be afraid; God has heard the boy’s cry in this plight of his.
Arise, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand;
for I will make of him a great nation.”
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.
She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink.
God was with the boy as he grew up.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
for nought is lacking to those who fear him.
The great grow poor and hungry;
but those who seek the LORD want for no good thing.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Come, children, hear me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Which of you desires life,
and takes delight in prosperous days?
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Father willed to give us birth by the word of truth
that we may be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes,
two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.
They were so savage that no one could travel by that road.
They cried out, “What have you to do with us, Son of God?
Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?”
Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.
The demons pleaded with him,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”
And he said to them, “Go then!”
They came out and entered the swine,
and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea
where they drowned.
The swineherds ran away,
and when they came to the town they reported everything,
including what had happened to the demoniacs.
Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus,
and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
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The Value of the Salvation of One Person
Opening Prayer: My Jesus, I so often find myself divided, giving more importance to things of this world than to the salvation of others or even the good of my own soul. Open my eyes and heart to love holiness and the salvation of souls as much as you do.
Encountering Christ:
Sin Torments: “Two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him.” Here were two people, tormented and in bondage, courtesy of the devil. Their condition was serious, if not fatal, but isn’t this our reality anytime we allow sin into our life? When a soul drifts from God it grows distant, cold to God, and can even become aggressive out of fear or hatred. In their exchange with Jesus, the souls in this passage did all of the talking out of extreme agitation. Jesus simply looked at them unafraid and in control. Jesus is always loving, patient, and attentive to our pleadings, and showers his mercy upon us when we desire to be freed from the bondage of sin.
Jesus Spoke: “Go then!” Jesus hadn’t spoken a word until now but the demoniacs knew he would expel them at some point because perfect good always prevails over evil. Jesus didn’t want them to be slaves to sin, nor does he want this for us. Jesus wants us to be free to truly follow him and love what is good, true, and beautiful as he created it. It’s our responsibility to surrender to God, confess, and make reparation whenever we realize we’ve given into sin.
They Banished Jesus: “They begged him to leave their district.” People sometimes don’t want the good of others, especially if it requires sacrificing their own comfort or security. The people in this district weren’t happy for the demoniacs who had been cured. Rather they were afraid and concerned with the revenue they lost when Jesus cast the devils into their swine. We should beware of growing tepid in our faith and distant from Jesus lest we lose a sense of the seriousness of sin and its consequences. Conversion of a sinner is the ultimate good and always a cause for celebration.
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, help me to never grow accustomed to sin in my life but to seek you with a sincere heart so that no taint of sin may mark my soul. Make me a more passionate lover of the salvation of souls so that I may call people to freedom from sin by your grace.
Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will be open to talking to someone about the gift of salvation in Christ.
Today's Prayer
Lord Jesus: You want to deliver me from everything that chains, torments and blocks me from being fully joyful. Give me the grace of letting you work in me, not scandalizing and not being afraid of the changes you want to make in my life. Give me docility and courage to receive the great blessings You prepared for me. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
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