Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 3rd, 2016
At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner. The full readings of the day from the Lectionary are available here.
The Canaanite woman demonstrates for us the process, purpose, and power of prayer.
She confidently approaches Jesus and intercedes out of desperation and deep love for her daughter, despite her own status as an outcast and sinner, calling, “Kyrie eleison: Lord, have mercy.”
Jesus’ initial response to her plea seems uncharacteristic. He remains silent and ultimately rebukes her. She persists with great tenacity, humility, and faith because of her perception of Jesus as sovereign. In fact, Jesus’ apparent aloofness only encourages her to pursue him with more fervor, and ultimately leads her to worship—she kneels in submission before Jesus and pleads: “Lord, help me.”
There is no doubt that Jesus is moved with compassion for this persistent woman who desperately wants to bring wholeness to her child. What purpose does his delayed response serve?
This Gospel challenges us to imitate this woman and persist in prayer with humility. Ultimately, Jesus’ primary desire is to pull us closer to him through prayer so we may know him more completely and intimately. Our persistence in prayer helps accomplish this. Over time, prayer develops our trust and faith in Jesus—complete abandonment to his will—which is key to experiencing the power and healing of his love.
I have personally experienced the same desperation as the Canaanite woman. Many of us have shouted out in desperation, “Have mercy on me, Lord; my loved one is being tormented by illness, addiction, depression, infertility, or loneliness.” My plea for nine years seemed to be ignored and rejected: “Have mercy on me, Lord; my daughter is tormented by epilepsy.”
I persisted in prayer. I begged for her health to be restored despite the poor prognosis. She was eventually healed; however, this healing was the easy part for Jesus. Transforming my selfish heart and my prayer life was far more difficult and would have never happened had my petition been answered immediately.
The delay that led me to persist in prayer taught me to first seek and love Jesus wholeheartedly, to trust him by submitting to his perfect will, and to nurture an intimacy with him. This trust now sustains me when I approach him again and again with these words, “Lord, help me.”
Prayer
“Lord, help me.” God, all we have to do is call out for help and you are there. That can be hard to do, though, because we don’t want to admit that we need your assistance. But when we ask for your help, whatever troubles us becomes easier. Remind us to ask for your help. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Gamaliel was a renowned rabbi in Jerusalem who taught the apostle Paul. He is honored in the Christian tradition for his defense of the early apostles.
The Jewish authorities prohibited Peter and the other apostles from preaching about Jesus, and when they continued, they were arrested and tried. Gamaliel was a man of great respect and was considered a leading teacher of his time. He defended the apostles (Acts 5:34-39), arguing that they should not be executed. “If their work is their own, it will come to nothing,” he said. “If it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, unless you are found to even fight against God.”
Some believe that Gamaliel was baptized by Sts. Peter and John, along with his son, Abibo (who later became a saint). He is honored on August 3 because in the fifth century, his relics were miraculously discovered on this date and transferred to the cathedral in Pisa, Italy. In Jewish tradition, Gamaliel remained a Pharisee until he died.
This stained glass window in the Basilica’s reliquary chapel depicts the discovery of his remains. It is an appropriate scene to watch over the more than 1,600 relics there, including remains from all twelve apostles, because Gamaliel protected the Church’s first saints. (His name on the tomb in the window appears in the foreign spelling as “Cheliel”.)
Gamaliel, defender of the apostles, pray for us!