The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor

Wednesday of week 13 in Ordinary Time 

Genesis 21:5,​8-20
Psalm 33(34):7-8,10-13
Matthew 8:28-34

In our gripping first reading from Genesis, we meet Hagar, a courageous woman cast out into the wilderness with her young child, armed only with a meager supply of food and water. As despair sets in and the water runs dry, Hagar cries out, her heart heavy with worry for her child’s life. But hope is on the horizon! In today’s stirring Gospel, Jesus encounters two fierce men, tormented and possessed by demons, who strike terror into the hearts of those around them, banished to the desolate tombs outside the town. They cry out for salvation!

These characters—the struggling slave woman and her child, and the two tormented souls—stand at the fringes of society, stripped of the benefits and support that many take for granted. Low status, fear, and behavior that rebels against societal norms push them into the shadows, where poverty lurks.

Yet here’s the powerful truth: God hears the cry of the poor! Hagar’s son is named “Ishmael,” meaning “God hears.” In her darkest moment, God responds to Hagar’s heartfelt plea, sending an angel to guide her. Similarly, Jesus recognizes the desperate cries of the men in the tombs and liberates them from their inner demons!

Christ appeals to His followers through the faces of the impoverished, calling us to recognize Him in those who are hungry, thirsty, or stripped of dignity—in the sick and even in those behind prison walls. The Lord reaches out His hand, not out of obligation, but out of love. And so, we too must respond! Let’s rise to the occasion, embracing the call to serve and uplift those in need!

Fr Joseph Osho