Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 5, 2017
First Reading: Genesis 21.5, 8-20
5when he was one hundred years old. Indeed, at this stage of his father’s life, Isaac was born8And the boy grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day of his weaning9And when Sarah had seen the son of Hagar the Egyptian playing with her son Isaac, she said to Abraham10"Cast out this woman servant and her son. For the son of a woman servant will not be heir with my son Isaac.11Abraham took this grievously, for the sake of his son12And God said to him: "Let it not seem harsh to you concerning the boy and your woman servant. In all that Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice. For your offspring will be invoked in Isaac13Yet I will also make the son of the woman servant into a great nation, for he is your offspring.14And so Abraham arose in the morning, and taking bread and a skin of water, he placed it upon her shoulder, and he handed over the boy, and he released her. And when she had departed, she wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba15And when the water in the skin had been consumed, she set aside the boy, under one of the trees that were there16And she moved away and sat in a distant area, as far as a bow can reach. For she said, "I shall not see the boy die." And so, sitting opposite her, he lifted up his voice and wept17But God heard the voice of the boy. And an Angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, saying: "What are you doing, Hagar? Do not be afraid. For God has heeded the voice of the boy, from the place where he is18Rise up. Take the boy and hold him by the hand. For I will make of him a great nation.19And God opened her eyes. And seeing a well of water, she went and filled the skin, and she gave the boy to drink20And God was with him. And he grew, and he stayed in the wilderness, and he became a young man, an archer
Psalm 34
1To David, when he changed his appearance in the sight of Abimelech, and so he dismissed him, and he went away. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will be ever in my mouth2In the Lord, my soul will be praised. May the meek listen and rejoice3Magnify the Lord with me, and let us extol his name in itself4I sought the Lord, and he heeded me, and he carried me away from all my tribulations5Approach him and be enlightened, and your faces will not be confounded6This poor one cried out, and the Lord heeded him, and he saved him from all his tribulations7The Angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him, and he will rescue them8Taste and see that the Lord is sweet. Blessed is the man who hopes in him9Fear the Lord, all you his saints. For there is no destitution for those who fear him10The rich have been needy and hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good thing11Come forward, sons. Listen to me. I will teach you the fear of the Lord12Which is the man who wills life, who chooses to see good days13Prohibit your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit14Turn away from evil, and do good. Inquire about peace, and pursue it15The eyes of the Lord are on the just, and his ears are with their prayers16But the countenance of the Lord is upon those who do evil, to perish the remembrance of them from the earth17The just cried out, and the Lord heard them, and he freed them from all their tribulations18The Lord is near to those who are troubled in heart, and he will save the humble in spirit19Many are the afflictions of the just, but from them all the Lord will free them20The Lord preserves all of their bones, not one of them shall be broken21The death of a sinner is very harmful, and those who hate the just will fare badly22The Lord will redeem the souls of his servants, and none of those who hope in him will fare badly
Gospel: Matthew 8.28-34
28And when he had arrived across the sea, into the region of the Gerasenes, he was met by two who had demons, who were so exceedingly savage, as they went out from among the tombs, that no one was able to cross by that way29And behold, they cried out, saying: "What are we to you, O Jesus, the Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?30Now there was, not far from them, a herd of many swine feeding31Then the demons petitioned him, saying: "If you cast us from here, send us into the herd of swine.32And he said to them, "Go." And they, going out, went into the swine. And behold, the entire herd suddenly rushed along a steep place into the sea. And they died in the waters33Then the shepherds fled, and arriving in the city, they reported on all this, and on those who had had the demons34And behold, the entire city went out to meet Jesus. And having seen him, they petitioned him, so that he would cross from their borders
Sermon
The readings today present us with two powerful narratives that invite us to reflect on trust, faith, and the mysterious ways of God. In the first reading from Genesis, we encounter Abraham, a man of deep faith, who is grappling with a difficult situation. Sarah, his wife, insists that Hagar and her son Ishmael be cast out, and though Abraham is grieved, he trusts in God’s plan. This trust is rewarded when God provides for Hagar and Ishmael in the wilderness, opening her eyes to a well of water and promising a future for her son. This story reminds us that even in moments of uncertainty and hardship, God’s providence is at work.
In the Gospel, we meet Jesus, who demonstrates His authority over evil spirits by casting demons out of two men and into a herd of swine. The people of the region, however, are more frightened than moved to faith by this display of power. They ask Jesus to leave, revealing a lack of understanding and trust in His mission. This contrast between Abraham’s trust and the fear of the Gerasenes invites us to examine our own response to God’s presence in our lives. Do we, like Abraham, trust in God’s plan even when it seems unclear, or do we, like the Gerasenes, allow fear to dominate our hearts?
These readings call us to a deeper faith and trust in God’s plan. Like Abraham, we are often called to let go of what is familiar and to trust in God’s promise, even when the future seems uncertain. And like the Gerasenes, we are invited to move beyond fear and to embrace the transformative power of Jesus in our lives. Let us ask for the grace to trust in God’s providence and to open our hearts to His presence, even when it challenges us to step out of our comfort zones. May we, like Hagar, come to see the wells of water that God provides for us in the wilderness of life.