Homily for Wednesday, 13th Week of Ordinary Time

Homily for Wednesday
13th Week of Ordinary Time

July 2, 2025
Gen 21: 5, 8-20
Matt 8: 28-34
Salesian Missions, New Rochelle

“Sarah demanded of Abraham: ‘Drive out that slave and her son!’” (Gen 21: 10).

Hagar & Ishmael in the Desert
(Luigi Alois Gillarduzzi)

The author of Genesis is presenting a story on the origin of some of the tribes who lived on the borders of Israel, people also descended from Abraham, but by his son Ishmael, whereas the Jewish people are descended from Isaac, the son of God’s promise to Abraham.

In broad terms, then, we see that the Arab peoples around Israel are kinsmen of the Jews, all children of Abraham.  How tragic that so often they’re enemies!

That enmity is rooted mostly in jealousy and covetousness.  They all want the land where Abraham roamed as a nomad more than 3,500 years ago.  The story that Genesis tells today is more relevant to us because it, too, speaks of jealousy and covetousness, which are 2 of the 7 deadly sins.

Sarah demands that Abraham throw out of their home her slave Hagar and Hagar’s son Ishmael, whose father is Abraham.  Sarah’s afraid that Abraham will divide his wealth when he dies:  “No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!” (21:10).  She’s jealous and greedy for her son and cares not a bit about the dignity and welfare of her slave and the child, nor for her husband’s feelings for his older child.

How many problems arise in our families and neighborhoods from jealousy and covetousness, from envy and greed.  Families fight over inheritances.  People spread gossip about others who seem to be more talented, more successful, or wealthier.  Kids are jealous and mean to each other because they perceive someone gets better treatment from teachers or even parents.

Take that to another level, and you have gangs fighting over turf and nations invading other nations to control trade or territory, mineral wealth or access to water.  That kind of behavior, whether by gangs, nations, or individuals like us is demonic, arising from the Devil’s wish to alienate us from God and God’s goodness:  “Those who seek the Lord want for no good thing” (Ps 34:10).  Demonic behavior makes life intolerable.  Teens kill themselves because they’re bullied, and refugees flee their homes to escape war.  The demoniacs whom Jesus met “were so savage that no one could travel by that road” (Matt 8:28).

There are little demons of jealousy and greed in each of us that tempt us to be unkind or even nasty.  With our Lord’s help, those demons can be tamed and driven out, making our hearts more peaceful and our behavior kinder and more generous.  Our relationships with family and neighbors can become more Christ-like.  Being like Christ is, after all, the goal of our lives.  After communion, we’ll pray that Christ bind himself to us “in lasting charity” so that “we may bear fruit that lasts forever”—that we may live with our Lord Jesus in eternal life.