A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 15:21-28)
Jesus said to the Canaanite woman, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.
The Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel is an example of faith and persistence through prayer and petition. This statement may appear harsh, referring to Gentiles as “dogs,” people who were considered outside the Jewish covenant. But despite initial rejection and apparently discouraging responses from Jesus and the disciples, the Canaanite woman perseveres, displaying unwavering trust in Jesus’ ability to help her. And Jesus commends her for it. From that hour, Matthew tells us, the woman’s daughter was healed. Jesus’ response to the woman demonstrates that salvation is not limited to a particular group or ethnicity but is universal. Salvation is for all people.
God, help me come to you with the same perseverance and trust as the Canaanite woman. By calling Jesus the Son of David, the woman acknowledged your Son’s lineage and was aware of the ideological and religious differences between them. But she persisted despite that for the sake of her daughter. For those times when I feel that there is a great gulf between us—when I have doubts or am skeptical of your ability to reach me or others—give me the grace to persist until you bridge the chasm between us. Help me see your activity in my life through prayer, through your word, in the sacraments, and in the Blessed Sacrament as your way of making yourself always available.
From the responsorial psalm: “May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you! May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!” Lord, let your face shine upon us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.