February 09, 2017 Thursday
5th Week in Ordinary Time 1st Reading:
Gen. 2:18-25
Gospel: Mk 7:24-30
Jesus went to the border of the Tyrian country. There he entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not remain hidden. A woman, whose small daughter had an evil spirit, heard of him and came and fell at his feet. Now this woman was a pagan, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
Jesus told her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she replied, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the crumbs from the children’s bread.” Then Jesus said to her, “You may go your way; because of such a reply the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And when the woman went home, she found her child lying in bed and the demon gone.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
In today’s Gospel reading a Syrophoenician woman begged Jesus to exorcise her daughter who was possessed by an evil spirit. At first Jesus showed reluctance. He said, “It is not good for the food of children to be thrown to the dogs.” Jesus was indecisive at the start, probably because she was a pagan.
No, Jesus did not discriminate. It was just that he had to attend to the chosen people first, for that was the reason why his Father sent him to earth. It was therefore a matter of priority and not a question of discrimination.
Jesus’ reply was painful to the proud and the same was destructive to him. But the pain was a soothing balm to the humble. The woman could have taken offence at the response of Jesus. But she was humble in interpreting Jesus’ words. In humility she came to an honest assessment of herself. “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the crumbs from the children’s bread”, she replied. Touched by her faith, Jesus granted her request. Faith exercised in humility won’t fail to touch the heart of Jesus.
Jesus’ heart is humble. Didn’t he describe himself as gentle and humble of heart? (Matthew 11: 29). Because his heart beats in humility, any humble act of another person will always trigger the beatings of that divine heart. God’s mercy behaves like water that seeks the lowest level. As water always flows towards low level, God’s grace will always flow to the lowly and the humble of heart. May be this is the reason why Jesus is also described as living water.
If the humility of a pagan woman triggered God’s mercy and compassion, won’t our humility evoke in him mercy and compassion in good measure, pressed down and flowing over? – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: dan.delosangeles@gmail.com.
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