Genesis 21:5, 8-20 / Matthew 8:28-34
A child may not have a big lung capacity. But its cries can make heads turn, especially in a restaurant or in a hall or even in church.
Somehow when a child wails and weeps, we just can't ignore it and we will attend to it especially if it is our child.
In the 1st reading, we heard of Hagar being sent away with her young son into the wilderness with just some bread and a skin of water.
When the skin of water was finished, Hagar abandoned the child under a bush and she went off at a distance because she couldn't bear to see the child die, while the child wailed and wept.
But God heard the cries of the child and sent an angel to rescue mother and child from death.
Indeed, God hears the cries of His people, especially children, and will come to their rescue.
In the gospel the two demoniacs were shouting angrily at Jesus, but their shouts turned to pleading as they asked Jesus to send them into the herd of pigs.
Over and above the shouting, Jesus heard the cries of the two possessed persons for healing and freedom. And He healed them and set them free.
So whenever we hear cries of distress or shouts of anger, let us also hear, over and above those cries and shouts, a plea for a need.
It's actually a cry and even a wailing for healing and for freedom.
God heard the cries of Hagar's child and the two demoniacs. May we also have the ears to hear the cries of those in need.