Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

379 Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

CCC Cross Reference:
Ps 34:8 336

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Reading 1
Gn 21:5, 8-20a

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
Ps 34:7-8, 10-11, 12-13

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.

Gospel
Mt 8:28-34

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.

Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

First reading Genesis 21:5 – 20

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:  Psalm 33(34):7-8,10-13

The 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.
The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

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.
The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

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?
The poor man called; the Lord heard him.

Gospel Matthew 8:28 – 34

When he reached the country of the Gadarenes on the other side, 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 neighborhood.

Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible

Wednesday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time

From: Genesis 21:5, 8-20

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[5] Abraham was an hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

Hagar and Ismael are sent away
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[8] And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. [9] But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. [10] So she said to Abraham, "Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.” [11] And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. [12] But God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased because of the lad and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your descendants be named. [13] And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” [14] So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

[15] When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. [16] Then she went, and sat down over against him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, "Let me not look upon the death of the child.” And as she sat over against him, the child lifted up his voice and wept. [17] And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not; for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. [18] Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him fast with your hand; for I will make him a great nation.” [19] Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. [20] And God was with the lad, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow.

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Commentary:

1-7. The promise recounted in 15:18 and 17:19-21 now begins to be fulfilled. The patriarch's age serves to show the special intervention by God in the birth of Isaac; as does the etymological explanation of the child's name, "she began to laugh”, which is now interpreted as "God has made laughter for me”, that is, has made me happy (cf. 18:15). And Abraham's obedience is very clear: he strictly fulfils the commandment of circumcision.

This is perhaps the most joyful moment in the patriarch's life: up to now it has been very much marked by trials and tribulations. With the birth of Isaac Abraham's trust in God grows, as can be seen now by his prompt obedience to his Law. The Lord is strengthening the patriarch for the final test which he will make him undergo later. This event in Abraham's life helps us to see that in moments of darkness in the course of our life we need to put our trust in God: "The time has come to cry to him, Remember, Lord, the promises you made, filling me with hope; they console me in my nothingness and fill my life with strength (Ps 119: 49-50). Our Lord wants us to rely on him for everything; it is now glaringly evident to us that without him we can do nothing (cf. Jn 15:5), whereas with him we can do all things (cf. Phil 4:13). We confirm our decision to walk always in his presence (cf. Ps 119:168)” (Bl. J. Escriva, Friends of God, 305).

8-21. This second expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael from the house of Abraham completes the story given in chapter 16. We now see the reason for it, given that expulsion went against the established law. Sarah's attitude was a decisive factor in ensuring that Isaac alone would be Abraham's heir. Acting against the succession laws of the time, Sarah seconds God's plan to have Abraham's true descendent come through Isaac, the son according to the promise, and not through Ishmael, his son according to nature alone. In this way the role of woman is highlighted, particularly the role of mother, in the fulfillment of the divine designs. For St Paul, Hagar and Sarah and the circumstances surrounding them are a type of the two Covenants (cf. Gal 4:21-31) – the first, that of Mount Sinai, represented by the slave-girl Hagar who gives birth according to the flesh; the second, referring to the new Covenant in Christ, represented by Sarah, the free wife, who gives birth according to the promise. Writing to the Christians of Galatia, and in the light of this typology, St Paul exclaims: "So, brethren, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman” (Gal 4:31).

The scene of Hagar in the wilderness is itself an example of the mercy of God for, as St John Chrysostom teaches, "whenever God wishes, even if we are utterly alone, even if we are in desperate trouble, even if we have no hope of survival, we need no other assistance, since God's grace is all we require. You see, if we win favour from him, no one will get the better of us, but rather we will prevail against anyone" (Homiliae in Genesim, 46, 2).

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From: Matthew 8:28-34

The Demoniacs of Gadara
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[28] And when He (Jesus) came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs met Him coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. [29] And behold, they cried out, "What have You to do with us, O Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" [30] Now a herd of many swine was feeding at some distance from them. [31] And the demons begged Him, "If You cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine." [32] And He said to them, "Go." So they came out and went into the swine; and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and perished in the waters. [33] The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, and what had happened to the demoniacs. [34] And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they begged Him to leave their neighborhood.

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Commentary:

28. Most Gospel codices and the New Vulgate say "Gadarenes"; but the Vulgate and parallel texts in Mark and Luke have "Gerasenes". Both names are possible; the two main towns in the area were Gerasa and Gadara. The event reported here could have happened close to both towns (limits were not very well defined), though the swine running down into the lake or sea of Galilee makes Gadara somewhat more likely. "Gergesenes" was a suggestion put forward by Origen.

28-34. In this episode Jesus once more shows His power over the devil. That it occurred in Gentile territory (Gerasa and Gadara were in the Decapolis, east of Jordan) is borne out by the fact that Jews were forbidden to raise swine, which the Law of Moses declared to be unclean. This and other instances of expulsion of demons narrated in the Gospel are referred to in the Acts of the Apostles, when St. Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: "He went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil" (Acts 10:38). It was a sign that the Kingdom of God had begun (cf. Matthew 12:28).

The attitude of local people towards this miracle reminds us that meeting God and living a Christian life require us to subordinate personal plans to God's designs. If we have a selfish or materialistic outlook we fail to appreciate the value of divine things and push God out of our lives, begging Him to go away, as these people did.

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.

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