Mt 8,28-34 – Wednesday of the XIII Week of Ordinary Time
«When he reached the other bank, in the country of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs, coming out of the tombs, came to meet him». There is a surprising detail in today’s Gospel. It is precisely the demoniacs who go to meet Jesus. Even evil, which tries in every way to oppose God, he cannot escape the strength of his presence. It is as if the Gospel wanted to tell us that Christ exerts an attraction so profound that it reaches even the darkest places of existence. This reveals a comforting truth to us.
There is no man or woman so far away as not to carry, perhaps unconsciously, a nostalgia for God. Under wounds, rebellions, contradictions and even sin, the human heart continues to seek that fullness that only Christ can give. Even when someone seems to reject God, they are often simply looking for Him in the wrong place. For this reason the mission of the Church is not to carry out propaganda or gain consensus. The Church exists to make this force of attraction present which belongs to Jesus. Christianity does not grow because it convinces with effective strategies, but because it allows people to experience the encounter with Christ.
When this meeting happens, life changes from the inside. However, the Gospel also shows the drama of freedom. Jesus frees the demoniacs, but the inhabitants of the city, instead of rejoicing, ask him to leave. It is possible to find yourself faced with goodness and reject it. It is possible to prefer one’s own securities, one’s interests or one’s fears to the newness that Christ brings. God never forces anyone’s heart. Knock, attract, call, but always leave people free. Even the fate of demons is profoundly symbolic. By throwing themselves into the sea together with the pigs, they show that evil always has one direction: self-destruction. Sin promises freedom, but it leads to slavery.
It promises life, but generates death. Christ, on the other hand, takes the opposite path. Enter our inner tombs to restore us to life. It is no coincidence that today we celebrate the precious blood of Jesus. It is through Him that we get the liberation we truly need.
Wednesday 1 July 2026 – (Wednesday of the 13th Week of Ordinary Time – Even Year)
