(Optional Memorial for Saint Elizabeth of Portugal) – in the United States transferred from July 4
(Optional Memorial for Saint Anthony Zaccaria, Priest)
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| “Expulsion of Hagar” by Willem van Mieris, 1724 |
Commentary:
Reading 1: Genesis 21:5, 8-20a
Commentary on Gn 21:5, 8-20a
The saga of Abraham (Abram) continues in this passage as he strives to follow God’s will. The birth of Isaac is announced and immediately tension arises. His wife Sarah (Sarai) has demanded that Hagar and Ishmael (firstborn of Abraham) be cast out of their family group. This is truly the beginning of the split in Abraham’s descendants, as the Jewish people would begin through his son Isaac, and the followers of Islam develop through his son Ishmael. The same God (whose Only Son is the Messiah) that favored the early Jewish people also shows his love for Hagar and Ishmael and their descendants.
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:7-8, 10-11, 12-13
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Commentary on Ps 34:7-8, 10-11, 12-13
Psalm 34 is a hymn of thanksgiving. In this selection, the singer rejoices in God’s love and compassion, especially for those in need (“the poor”). God saves those who love him and shares in their delight during good times.
CCC: Ps 34:8 336
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Gospel: Matthew 8:28-34
Commentary on Mt 8:28-34
Jesus comes to a region about five miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee and encounters the two demoniacs (people taken over by demons). He drives the demons out into a herd of swine. The symbolism here for the Jewish audience would be powerful, as swine were unclean animals. By casting themselves into the sea, even they preferred death to the presence of evil. The gentile population, probably very superstitious, was afraid of Christ’s power over evil and did not want any more damage as a result of his presence.
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Reflection:
What is the difference between physical love (eros) and love (agape), the highest and purest form of love? The story of Sarah and Hagar from Genesis answers this question. It is also a tremendous lesson in moral theology. In her rush to give Abraham the heir he needed for his prosperity to be handed down, Sarah brought Hagar, her servant, to Abraham to be a surrogate. In this action, we see Abraham performing the physical act of love (eros) with Hagar. Through this action, Hagar’s dignity as a person was not considered. She was seen by Sarah, and indeed by Abraham, as merely the vessel for an heir.
Having been thus demeaned, and having produced the desired son for Abraham in Ishmael, we see the natural enmity arise between Sarah and Hagar. Hagar for her part loved Ishmael. Ignoring the circumstances of his conception, she saw Abraham’s fortune passing to Ishmael, as his son and heir. Then the unthinkable happened, Sarah became pregnant in her advanced years, and bore a son, Isaac. This event essentially took away any rights that Ishmael could claim on Abraham’s posterity. We can understand the feelings (jealousy, hate, resentment) between the two women, as complex as they were.
We see something else in this story as well. As favored as Abraham is in the eyes of God, the Lord loves (agape) Ishmael and Hagar without prejudice. The promise of salvation is given them as well as Abraham, Isaac, and Sarah. In God’s eyes, they are all precious to Him.
Within the context of human relationships, we can see a clear example of what happens when the wrong thing is done for what is considered to be a noble purpose. In this case, Sarah loved (agape) her husband and felt she had somehow displeased God. Since Abraham was clearly beloved by God and had been promised a multitude of descendants, and since she was barren of children, it must be that God disapproved of her. With this thought she presented her servant to her husband to be the means of God’s promised continuation of life. She did so without thinking that this action would constitute any infidelity on the part of Abraham. She also did not consider that this action would violate the dignity of her servant.
Even if Hagar considered this order from her mistress a reasonable one, the action violated her human dignity. Even though the resultant life in Ishmael was precious to God, the means of begetting that life were ignoble at best. The end result is obvious to us now. God’s promise was fulfilled in Ishmael as well as Isaac. God’s prediction was also fulfilled, that there would be enmity between Ishmael and his descendants and those of Isaac.
We see the pain that can arise from doing the wrong thing for the right reasons in this story, and pray for the wisdom to hear and apply this knowledge in our own actions. We see also that God loves all his people, and hope that our own hearts will respond to that love in the same way.
Pax
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