Homily – Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Cycle II)

Theme: “God Sees the Outcast and Stays with the Troubled”


1. First Reading – Genesis 21:5, 8–20a: God Does Not Abandon the Forgotten

In this painful but powerful story, Abraham sends Hagar and her son Ishmael away at Sarah’s request. Alone in the wilderness, with no water left, Hagar prepares to watch her son die.

But God intervenes.

“God heard the voice of the boy… and opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water.”

This passage reveals:

  • God sees the suffering of the forgotten.

  • God hears the cries of the outcast.

  • Even in a desert moment, God opens wells of hope.

Hagar and Ishmael represent all who are abandoned by society—yet are not abandoned by God.

🧠 2. Psalm 34 – “The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor”

The Psalm echoes Hagar’s experience:

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him… Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”

Even when others turn away from us, the Lord draws near.

  • He hears.

  • He delivers.

  • He surrounds us with unseen grace.

👿 3. Gospel – Matthew 8:28–34: Jesus Confronts the Powers of Evil

Jesus enters Gentile territory and encounters two men possessed by demons.
He casts out the demons, who enter a herd of pigs and drown.

The townspeople react with fear—not awe—and beg Jesus to leave.

Why?
Because Jesus disturbed their comfort, exposed spiritual conflict, and challenged their status quo.

Jesus freed the men—but the people preferred the demons they knew to the Saviour they didn’t understand.

🧩 4. What Ties These Readings Together?

  • In Genesis, God saves those who are pushed away.

  • In the Gospel, Jesus delivers those who are bound by evil.

  • In both, the human response varies: some rejoice, others resist.

  • God still acts today:

  • He still hears the abandoned,

  • He still frees the tormented,

  • But will we welcome Him—or ask Him to leave when He challenges our lives?

💬 Quote for Reflection

“Jesus is dangerous to everything that enslaves us—including the comfort that keeps us from being free.”
– Fr. Henri Nouwen

✅ Life Application

  • Do I truly believe God sees me when I feel invisible?

  • Do I welcome Jesus, even when He confronts my spiritual comfort zones?

  • Am I willing to let Him disrupt what is unhealthy in me?

🙏 Prayer for the New Day

“God Who Sees Me, Stay With Me Today”

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the gift of life this morning.
Like Hagar and Ishmael, I may face moments of thirst, loneliness, or fear—
but I trust that You see me, hear me, and walk with me.

Lord Jesus, come into my life today.
Even if You challenge my comfort or expose what I’d rather keep hidden,
please do not pass me by.

Free me from whatever binds me,
comfort me in whatever wounds me,
and open my eyes to see the wells of grace that surround me.

Help me to receive You today—
not with fear, but with faith.

Amen.

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