Praying for those sent away

The Lord Is My Chef Breakfast Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Wednesday, Memorial of the First Martyrs of Rome, 30 June 2021
Genesis 21:5, 8-20   ><)))*>  +  <*(((><   Matthew 8:28-34

You touched my heart so much, 
God our loving Father
as your words spoke today
of people being sent away:
Sarah noticed the son 
whom Hagar the Egyptian 
had borne to Abraham
playing with her son Isaac;
so she demanded of Abraham:
"Drive that slave and her son!
No son of of that slave is going to share
the inheritance with my son Isaac!"
(Genesis 21:9-10)

Abraham was greatly distressed
and so am I, Lord, when I remember 
and think of those many people  
driven away, sent home or so far away 
due to anger and jealousy, 
hatred and modern forms of slavery
as well as sometimes for reasons of 
inefficiency and deficiencies.

Have mercy on us, O Lord
when we find it so easy 
to drive people away 
without realizing 
for every person sent home
or driven away
with nowhere to go
not only a job or education is lost
but most of all,
we deprive them of life and future.

And that is why we thank you O God,
in taking care of Hagar and Ishmael
after they were sent away
like those many others in our own time
sent away without the basic necessities
and worse victims of human trafficking;
We beg you, dear Father,
like Jesus in the gospel
may he set us free from the evils that
bound us today when we see more
the value of things and money
than of every person.
May the first martyrs of Rome
pray for us to be firm in standing
for the value of every person.
Amen.