Daily Catholic Mass Readings for July 5, 2017
First Reading: Genesis 21.5, 8-20
5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.8The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast.9But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking,10and she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac."11The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.12But God said to him, "Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.13I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring."14Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the desert of Beersheba.15When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes.16Then she went off and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she thought, "I cannot watch the boy die." And as she sat there nearby, she began to sob.17God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.18Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation."19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.20God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.
Psalm 34
1I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.2My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.3Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.4I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.5Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.6This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.8Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.9Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.10The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.11Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.12Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,13keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.14Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;16the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.18The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.19A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;20he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.21Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.22The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
Gospel: Matthew 8.28-34
28When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.29"What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"30Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding.31The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs."32He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.33Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
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.