WEDNESDAY OF WEEK 13 IN ORDINARY TIME - 2025

DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS

By his own choice the Father made us his children
by the message of the truth,
so that we should be a sort of first-fruits
of all that he created. JAMES 1:18

GENESIS 21:5,8-20

My Soul's Beloved,

All life comes from the Creator, and at His command, by the power of His Word and the Breath of His Spirit, all that God wills comes to be. Life and death belong to God alone, and anyone who attempts to wrest this authority and power from God will suffer grievously and eternally.

Abraham was a hundred years old and Sara was ninety when she conceived and bore their son Isaac, for with God nothing is impossible. We must always be aware of this truth when we pray, and all that we ask for in prayer with tears and humble supplication, He will hear and grant according to His perfect will.

In our frail humanity, we cannot fully grasp God's generosity, goodness, and perfect love for all His children. We allow our fears and our limited understanding of Him to dictate and bring about our selfish will and desires, which can often contradict His will. Sarah was jealous for Isaac's sake. It was beyond her comprehension that God could and would fulfill His promises for Isaac, and any blessings God bestowed on Ishmael could steal nothing from Isaac's inheritance.  We too act like Sarah, we look down on people who worship God differently, perhaps even heretically, and are quick to condemn and belittle their beliefs. What we are called to do instead is to offer our own powerful witness to the Truth, and pray that the Holy Spirit will enlighten them. 

You, my Beloved, hear the cries of both sinner and saint and come quickly to help and heal all who call on You, just as God came to the aid of Hagar and Ishmael. Instead of being narrow-minded, and critical of those who, through no fault of their own are ignorant of the Truth, let us pray for them and by the power and witness of our own lives be the Lamp lit and placed on the lampstand so by its light they too will be drawn to the Truth.

Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham gave a great banquet on the day Isaac was weaned. Now Sarah watched the son that Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. ‘Drive away that slave-girl and her son,’ she said to Abraham; ‘this slave-girl’s son is not to share the inheritance with my son Isaac.’ This greatly distressed Abraham because of his son, but God said to him, ‘Do not distress yourself on account of the boy and your slave-girl. Grant Sarah all she asks of you, for it is through Isaac that your name will be carried on. But the slave-girl’s son I will also make into a nation, for he is your child too.’ Rising early next morning Abraham took some bread and a skin of water and, giving them to Hagar, he put the child on her shoulder and sent her away.
She wandered off into the wilderness of Beersheba. When the skin of water was finished she abandoned the child under a bush. Then she went and sat down at a distance, about a bowshot away, saying to herself, ‘I cannot see the child die.’ So she sat at a distance; and the child wailed and wept.
But God heard the boy wailing, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven. ‘What is wrong, Hagar?’ he asked. ‘Do not be afraid, for God has heard the boy’s cry where he lies. Come, pick up the boy and hold him safe, for I will make him into a great nation.’ Then God opened Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well, so she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.
God was with the boy. He grew up and made his home in the wilderness, and he became a bowman.

PSALM 33(34):7-8,10-13

This poor man called; the Lord heard him.

This poor man called, the Lord heard him
and rescued him from all his distress.
The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere him, to rescue them.

Revere the Lord, you his saints.
They lack nothing, those who revere him.
Strong lions suffer want and go hungry
but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing.

Come, children, and hear me
that I may teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is he who longs for life
and many days, to enjoy his prosperity?

This poor man called; the Lord heard him.

MATTHEW 8:28-34

My Soul's Beloved,

You came intentionally to the country of the Gadarenes. You knew about the poor demoniacs, and You wanted to deliver them from the possession of the demons that had taken possession of them.  Most of us, including myself, are cowards. We would rather not endanger ourselves, cause a ruckus, and disturb the peace to such an extent that we would be asked to leave. We prefer lethargy to boldness. To seek comfort rather than seeking to do Your will fearlessly, no matter the consequences. 

The healing and restoration to perfect spiritual health of the demoniacs demonstrates Your power over evil spirits. Every miracle You performed clearly indicates that You are God with power over life and death, nature, and evil spirits. All that we experience in our human condition or in the spiritual realm is under Your authority and Lordship, and because You love us so infinitely and unconditionally, we can trust You always to work all things for our good and our salvation.

When Jesus reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side of the lake, two demoniacs came towards him out of the tombs – creatures so fierce that no one could pass that way. They stood there shouting, ‘What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the time?’ Now some distance away there was a large herd of pigs feeding, and the devils pleaded with Jesus, ‘If you cast us out, send us into the herd of pigs.’ And he said to them, ‘Go then’, and they came out and made for the pigs; and at that the whole herd charged down the cliff into the lake and perished in the water. The swineherds ran off and made for the town, where they told the whole story, including what had happened to the demoniacs. At this the whole town set out to meet Jesus; and as soon as they saw him they implored him to leave the neighbourhood.