Woman of great faith

August 08, 2018
Wednesday, 18th Week in
Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Jr 31:1-7
Gospel:
Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Now a Canaanite woman came from those borders and began to cry out, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So his disciples approached him and said, “Send her away: see how she is shouting after us.”

Then Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.” But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus and said, “Sir, help me!” Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to the little dogs.” The woman replied, “It is true, sir, but even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said, “Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)

Today’s Gospel reading is not about discrimination and arrogance but about Faith. Let’s look at it this way. Salvation was primarily for the Jews. The fact that Jesus gave in to a non-Jew (the Canaanite woman) in the end shows to us that God can not refuse a person moved by faith. Elsewhere in the Gospel Jesus says: If you have faith as small as the mustard said, you can even command a tree to uproot itself, or order a mountain to move.

The frustrating situation of the Canaanite woman ended to her favor. She didn’t only procure exorcism for her daughter. She also won the greatest compliment from Jesus himself who declared her to be a woman of great faith. On what basis did Jesus make such proclamation? Women are usually sensitive to words, more so in situations that push them pull them into self-pity. The woman already heard Jesus comparing her to dogs. But she swallowed her pride and persevered because of her faith in Jesus. It was this unwavering faith that impressed Jesus.

Hope and humility distinguished her faith. Hope sustained her despite Jesus’ disinterest in her case. Humility kept her resilient despite the apparent insult she got. After all, being a pagan, she was an outsider and had no right to demand access to the opportunities reserved to the chosen people. Humbly acknowledging her status, she welcomed the comparison of her to a little dog unworthy of the bread prepared for the children of the master. She would have been contented of the crumbs falling from the children’s table. Cure for her daughter would have been enough. But she got more. She was also declared a woman of great faith. In her story we see the power of faith. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., D.M.

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