Gospel of Matthew 15:21-28
He said in reply,“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!
Whenever I read this scripture passage, I recoil inside thinking how offensive our Lord acts toward the poor Canaanite woman. The behavior is shocking because normally Jesus is so kind toward others, especially those suffering. In this case, Jesus and his disciples know the woman is not Jewish. She comes from a group of people not chosen by God. So, why should they help heal her daughter? She's not one of them. She doesn't believe what they believe.
The Canaanite woman persists. She doesn't back down or go away so easily even after being called a dog. She's willing to take even the smallest ounce of scraps from the Master in order to save her child. Her faith is so strong that Jesus can't simply push her away. He eventually heals her daughter.
Sometimes we pray to God asking him to fulfill our own personal needs, even demanding situations to turn out a specific way. Maybe we want a new job with a higher salary working at a prestigious company. Maybe we want God to heal our loved one from a crippling disease. Maybe we want the annoying neighbor next door to move away for good. When our petitions are not answered the way we like, we become disillusioned. We think God doesn't listen to us. He must have forgotten all about us as he helps others give them what they want. In bad circumstances, we decide to turn away from God. Stop going to church. Stop praying. Turn to secularism or even atheism as a cure all. Who needs an invisible God who never answers us?
On the contrary, God does listen to our prayers and petitions. He knows us better than anyone. He knows what we truly need versus what we want superficially. The answers we seek may lie in interactions with people we despise or in a job we don't particularly like. It may feel like we are stuck in a dead-end situation, but take heart that things will change! They never stay the same. We simply can't just pray to God asking for him to help us but then take no action on our own.
Like the Canaanite woman, we must persist in our faith. Don't back down and never give up when life throws us the unexpected. God blessed each one of us with an intellect and an ability to reason. He gives us tools to change our lives for the better. Counselors, psychiatrists, and social workers help us deal with mental health issues. Priests and religious dedicate time to help us through spiritual issues. Many times interacting with friends and families can help us. Our own parish families are there for love and support. Also, helping others can provide answers to our own personal circumstances.
Don't give up on God. He does listen to our prayers. Be aware of the people, situations, places, and things our Lord puts in your life. Oftentimes answers to our prayers lie in these unexpected avenues.
-J.
Like the Canaanite woman, we must persist in our faith. Don't back down and never give up when life throws us the unexpected. God blessed each one of us with an intellect and an ability to reason. He gives us tools to change our lives for the better. Counselors, psychiatrists, and social workers help us deal with mental health issues. Priests and religious dedicate time to help us through spiritual issues. Many times interacting with friends and families can help us. Our own parish families are there for love and support. Also, helping others can provide answers to our own personal circumstances.
Don't give up on God. He does listen to our prayers. Be aware of the people, situations, places, and things our Lord puts in your life. Oftentimes answers to our prayers lie in these unexpected avenues.
-J.
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