My Dear People, 

 Today we have in the gospel of Matthew that Jesus withdrew to the towns of Tyre and Sidon. These were Phoenician cities on the Mediterranean coast, present day Lebanon. Jesus went there to be away from the crowds, from Herod Antipas, and from the Jews in authority so that he could teach the apostles. That area was one of the original settlements of the Canaanite people, outside Israel, and pagan territory.  Jesus does not immediately respond to the Canaanite woman who was requesting a favor from him. She has accepted Jesus as the Messiah, and she knows that through her persistence, Jesus can heal her daughter. Despite Jesus’ comment that “it is not right to take the food from the children and give it to the dogs,” she does not give up. She persists.  She answers that even dogs get scraps from the table. Her faith in Jesus is strong and she knows that Jesus can heal her daughter. To which Jesus replies,  “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done as you wish.” 

Notice Jesus did not go to the place where the daughter was, he just said the word, and her daughter was healed. The Canaanite woman believed that her daughter was healed because Jesus said so. This is a great example of faith, which many people even in Israel had. Meanwhile, this pagan individual had greater faith. Jesus, when he does certain miracles, points to the faith of the person asking for the miracle. If the soul would seek the divine word and would live and dedicate oneself to Jesus in living and with complete faith how much would this soul be enriched in his spiritual life and receive comfort in his physical life!  We have to confess with deep humility that we do not know how to live and take the same child-like approach. Faith is important. 

In contrast, the people of Nazareth and the people of the leader in Jerusalem did not have great faith. They were interested in figuring out other things. They let their reasoning get in the way of their faith. Meanwhile, this Canaanite woman, who did not know the laws of the Jewish people, did not have any reasoning to interfere with the request.  The centurion, who was not a Jew, was the same-- he did not have any of the Jewish laws to interfere with his reasoning. So, his request was pure, and he showed strong faith. This reading is paired with the first reading from Isaiah who said: in chapter 56: “The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, ministering to him, loving the name of the Lord,” then the passage ends with “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”  In this passage Isaiah when he says  “all” he means not only the Jews but also the Gentiles. The curing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman shows that eventually the Gentiles will be admitted into the kingdom of God. And they will pray to the Lord as the Jews pray to the Lord. 

 Yours in Christ, 

Fr. Vincent Clemente