Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today's Mass Readings
The readings today teach us that God answers our prayers but not always in ways we expect. In the reading from Genesis, Abraham has a great feast on the day of his Son Isaac’s weaning. At the celebration, Sarah noticed Hagar and her son Ishmael and became distressed. Sarah asked that Hagar and her son be sent away so as to protect Isaac’s inheritance. Abraham seems nervous to grant Sarah’s request, yet God admonishes him to do so. “Heed the demands of Sarah, no matter what she is asking of you;” (Gen. 21: 12b.) Part of the admonishment is the reminder that God will raise up a great people through Isaac. The next verse of this story that Sarah or maybe even some today do not want to hear refers to Ishmael. Again God speaking, “As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a great nation also, since he too is your offspring.” (Gen. 21: 13.) The nation, which we could now attribute Ishmael, is Islam. God keeps God’s promises and God made a promise to protect and raise Abraham’s children. God answered Sarah’s prayer, but not in the way she had envisioned. The gospel today includes a miracle; however the story’s end makes us wonder if it was noticed by those who were healed. The demons in the story recognize Jesus as the Son of God, and even seem to know that Jesus will drive them out. The demons request to be cast out into the herd of swine. These swine then run and drown. The swine herders, who were cured, ran into town and told all that has happened. The town comes out to Jesus and begs Him to leave. The eyes of the town’s people were not open to the possibility that the messiah was in their midst, and thus they sent Jesus away. Once again, the desire of the people to behold the Messiah was being fulfilled, but just not in the way they wanted it to be fulfilled. The entire town ended up rejecting the very God they had awaited.
If any thing distresses your heart today, take that issue to the Lord. Know that your cry has been heard and trust that you are held in the palm of His hand. Open your eyes to the possibility that the way you want a prayer answered, may not be the way God chooses to answer that prayer.
"Lord, You hear the cry of the poor. You drive out our demons. You make the rich poor and make the sinful clean. Help us to understand that you answer prayers in your own way and time. Give us Your eyes so that with new vision we will delight and be grateful for all the ways You care for us; as You did for all those who came before us in faith. Amen!"
-Michael Montgomery