Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 7, 2024
At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out,
“Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But he did not say a word in answer to her.
His disciples came and asked him,
“Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply,
“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
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!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And her daughter was healed from that hour.
My first read of today’s gospel passage left me slightly lost. I, too, have daughters, but I am fairly certain that any parenting challenges my wife and I have faced with them thus far pale in comparison to a demonic possession. And then Jesus responds to her unthinkable challenge by comparing the woman’s status to that of a dog. That’s not the typical challenge we face day to day, and that is certainly not the usual response of the Jesus I have learned about, prayed to, and tried to follow over the course of my life. What is going on here?
While both the woman’s situation and Jesus’ response seem strange to us, I was not surprised by the reaction of the disciples. These are the same individuals who want to keep the children from bothering Jesus just a few chapters later in Matthew.
Perhaps Jesus is challenging both his disciples’ cultural prejudices and the woman’s perseverance in requesting help. Did the mother truly believe in Christ’s power to heal and to save, even when reminded of how the Jewish culture viewed her? What offended pride, cultural prejudices, and bad memories are we willing to push through in prayer to be united to God? Those who truly seek out Jesus in their lives, whether an innocent child or Canaanite, will be welcomed by him, but the onus is on us to be sincere and persistent in that desire.
Navigating life’s challenges, whether daily and trivial or shocking and severe, always invites a compassionate and empathetic response. Fortunately for us, Jesus embodies those characteristics. He just asks that we be willing to commit ourselves to him, no matter who we are. He is ultimately awaiting all of us despite what others might say or do to make that meeting difficult.
Prayer
Blessed are you, O Lord our God. Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, promised that people of all races or cultural backgrounds will be blessed in their persistent faith in your divine power and compassion. May we in our prayer also be so blessed as to receive those spiritual gifts that will assist us in giving you honor and glory. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Cajetan lived in the early 1500s in Italy, at a time when the Church was marked by corruption and indifference. In response, like an effective team captain rallying other players, he reenergized a community of priests who reformed the Church with their zeal and service to the poor.
He was born in 1480 to noble parents and attended the University of Padua, where he dedicated himself to studies and prayer. He received civil and canon law doctorates and returned to his hometown, where he was appointed a senator. After a time, he discerned a call to the priesthood and was ordained when he was 33.
He began to gather other priests around him to care for the poor and sick. Because Cajetan was of noble status, he could have selected anywhere to minister—at court, or in the hierarchy at the Vatican. Instead, he sought out the priests who were living and working among the people of the streets. Though this offended his friends, he persisted. He even founded a bank to offer poor people an alternative to loan sharks.
The group founded a hospital for those suffering from incurable diseases. He told his brother clerics that in church, “we try to serve God by worship; in our hospital we may say that we actually find him."
The Church itself was sick at that time—many of the clergy were corrupt and indifferent. Cajetan and his community of brother priests decided to formalize their efforts as a religious community dedicated to zeal and to spreading authentic faith through their personal witness. They preached, cared for the sick, encouraged people to receive the sacraments frequently, and urged pastors to live a dedicated life of service.
He spent the rest of his life working to reform the Church and mediating civil conflicts. His community of priests went on to play a key role in the reformation of the Church. When he fell ill in 1547, his doctors ordered him to lie on a mattress instead of the bare boards he used for his bed. “My savior died on a cross,” Cajetan said. “Allow me at least to die on wood.”
St. Cajetan’s relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. He is the patron saint of workers and of those seeking employment.
St. Cajetan, who led priests and rallied the Church with his zeal and commitment to the poor, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Cajetan is in the public domain. Last accessed March 28, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
