Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection July 02, 2025
Wednesday – 13th Week in Ordinary Time
02nd July 2025 (Wednesday)
Psalter: Week 1
Readings of the Day
First Reading: Genesis 21:5, 8-20a
Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing. 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.” And the thing was very displeasing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Be not displeased because of the boy and because of your slave woman. Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your offspring be named. And I will make a nation of the son of the slave woman also, because he is your offspring.” 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 Beersheba. When the water in the skin was gone, she put the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot, for she said, “Let me not look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy, 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 boy where he is. Up! Lift up the boy, and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make him into a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink. And God was with the boy, and he grew up. He lived in the wilderness and became an expert with the bow.
Psalm 34:7-8, 10-11, 12-13 R.(7a)
R/. The lowly one called, and the Lord heard him
Gospel Acclamation
V/. Alleluia
R/. Alleluia
V/. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures
R/. Alleluia
Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34
At that time: When he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 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?” Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Wednesday – 13th Week in Ordinary Time
Main Point: The greatest danger in our present society is an empty religion and shallow piety, which does not correspond to a life of goodness towards others
1. In the gospel today, we have two demoniacs. How true it is that the world of today is very much like them! Their situation very much indicates our own. The implications are striking: one is ‘staying among the tombs’. This can indicate being lifeless, to be dead to the life of God. It further indicates leading a life that is estranged and cut off from warm and concerned relationships with others.
2. Another detail is, ‘So savage that no one could pass that way’. This can indicate their aggressive and violent behaviour, which intimidates others who walk the same road of life. These estrangement and aggression are the typical signs and symptoms of evil possession. Jesus expels the demons and heals the two demoniacs. At the request of the demons, Jesus allows them to enter into a herd of swine. And the possessed swine rush into the sea and drown and die.
3. Perhaps, some may wonder why Jesus acted that way. The point here is, whether the demons are in the persons or the swine, the eventual outcome is only destruction. One who has evil within, one whom the evil possesses and resides in, will surely be ruined.
4. As a result of the death of the swine, the people begged Jesus to leave their place. Again, this is interesting to note: the people of the city feel more worried about the loss of the swine. They do not rejoice about the healing of the demoniacs. Their material loss weighs more than the spiritual gain. They want to get rid of this Jesus whose presence and intervention are more disturbing and disconcerting, incompatible with their materialistic and non-committal outlook.
5. Further, a little attention can be given to the first reading as well. Perhaps, some may object, how Sarah could mercilessly drive away her slave woman Hagar, who bore a son, Ishmael, to Abraham? How could she be so jealous and discriminate between her son Isaac and Ishmael? 6. Again, the point is not so much about the human imperfections. God is ever compassionate, and so he protects Hagar and her son in the wilderness and also blesses Ishmael to make a great nation.
6. Here, there is a great lesson about freedom. It is not so much the question of two individuals, Sarah, the free woman and Hagar, the slave woman. It is also not so much about the posterity of individuals, Isaac or Ishmael. Rather, it is about living and growing in freedom. God wants us to be children of freedom and not slaves of evil. The demoniacs in the gospel were slaves and not free. Jesus frees them.
My Practice: Very often, it is ironic that people are externally very healthy and sane but internally possessed by evil. They may walk into the temples, but their life is amidst the tombs. They offer fat offerings, but with so lean goodness and justice!
