💖 HOMILY - JULY 2 💖

First Reading - Genesis 21:5,8-20 

Gospel - Matthew 8:28-34

Every human life is precious in the eyes of God, even when the world sees it as insignificant or inconvenient. Today’s readings draw our attention to God’s deep concern for those who are cast out, rejected, or considered unworthy by society. They reveal a God who sees, who listens, and who acts on behalf of the forgotten.

In the first reading, we hear about the expulsion of Hagar and her son Ishmael. Once Abraham’s household was blessed with the birth of Isaac, Sarah demanded that Hagar and her son be sent away. Though this was painful, God assured Abraham that He would care for Ishmael, for he too was Abraham's son. As they wandered in the wilderness and reached the brink of death, God heard the boy’s cry. He opened Hagar’s eyes to a well of water and renewed His promise to make Ishmael a great nation. This story reveals God’s attentiveness to the cries of the helpless and His fidelity even to those who are pushed to the margins.

The Gospel passage continues this theme in a surprising way. Jesus enters a Gentile territory and heals two men possessed by demons—people whom society had long since given up on. These men lived in tombs, were violent, and isolated. Yet Jesus approaches them without fear and restores their lives. Interestingly, the people of the town, instead of rejoicing, beg Jesus to leave. The healing, though powerful, disrupts their comfort and priorities.

Both stories challenge us to reflect on how we view the rejected and the broken in our midst. Hagar and Ishmael were driven away because they no longer fit into the household’s future. The demoniacs were feared and avoided because of their condition. But in both cases, God acts with compassion. He listens to the cry of the outcast and brings healing and restoration.

These readings also serve as a warning: we may at times be like the townspeople in the Gospel—unwilling to welcome God's transforming presence when it challenges our comfort. Jesus did something undeniably good, yet they preferred the status quo over divine intervention. It reminds us to stay open to the disruptive grace of God, which always seeks to heal, include, and restore, even if it unsettles our routine.

May we learn to see with God’s eyes, to listen for the cries of those in distress, and to welcome the saving work of Christ, even when it stretches our comfort. Let us become instruments of God’s compassion in a world that too often turns its back on the vulnerable.