Woman, great is your faith.

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you.

Today, Sunday, we celebrate creation and thank God for creating and sharing this blessing with us. May we renew our commitment to preserving nature. It is too the day we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord and his constant presence among us. It is also the day to receive the Holy Spirit as did the first disciples. It is the Spirit that will transform us.

Sunday 16 August 2020

Woman, great is your faith.

 

First reading

Isaiah 56:1,6-7 ·

I will bring foreigners to my holy mountain

Thus says the Lord: Have a care for justice, act with integrity, for soon my salvation will come and my integrity be manifest.

Foreigners who have attached themselves to the Lord to serve him and to love his name and be his servants – all who observe the sabbath, not profaning it, and cling to my covenant – these I will bring to my holy mountain. I will make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their holocausts and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar, for my house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

Prayerful reflection

Here the author, a disciple of Isaiah, living at the time of the return from exile around 538, has an insight into the mission of the Jews. They are to be open to all nations and bring them to worship Yahweh. Most Jews will not realise this and keep themselves far away from gentiles, even calling them ‘dogs’. God chose Abraham, father of the Jews, to bring blessing on all nations. Jesus through his Church will fulfil this plan of God. Jesus will quote this passage ‘my house is to b a house of prayer.’

 

 

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 66(67):2-3,5-6,8

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your saving help.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

May God still give us his blessing

till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

 

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Alleluia, alleluia!

The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice,

says the Lord,

I know them and they follow me.

Alleluia!

 

Or:

cf.Mt4:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the kingdom

and cured all kinds of sickness among the people.

Alleluia!

 

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Gospel

Matthew 15:21-28

The Canaanite woman debates with Jesus and saves her daughter

Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.

Prayerful reflection

Jesus has gone into pagan territory. It maybe because he wants some relief from the constant badgering of the Pharisees and the scribes. While he is there, this pagan woman directly approaches him. She doesn’t go through some intermediary, such as the apostles. She has heard of Jesus and has faith that he can and will heal her daughter. She calls him ‘Lord’ three times and also by the Messianic title ‘Son of David’.

Yet Jesus ignores her. However, she doesn’t give up, but keeps on crying out after them. As a result, the disciples are irritated and ask Jesus to do something and send her away – then they will have some peace. Then Jesus speaks to them. The Father has sent him to call the lost sheep of Israel to repentance and reconciliation. The time for the pagans will come, but it hasn’t come yet. She hears this and ignores it and pleads again with him.

Jesus now speaks to her. We do not have the tone of voice and that can make all the difference. It sounds somewhat harsh at best: it is not right to give the children’s bread to house dogs. Jews called pagans ‘dogs’. She does not get offended with the reply. She realises that she has no rights before God and yet answers Jesus. ‘At least the dogs get some bits that fall from the table’.

This reply touches the heart of Jesus and though he has only come for the lost sheep of Israel, he cannot resist humble, persevering prayers of faith. If you want to touch the heart of Jesus, be humble, go to him directly, persevere in petitioning, and have complete trust that he will answer your prayer.