"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience," (Col 3:12)

Mt 15:21-28

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.

Today's Gospel is a confirmation that God loves every person and does not refuse to help anyone who comes close to Him. God bends under the influence of human misery and reacts to misfortune, even if it happens to someone who was far from Him, but who believes that God is able to help him. Have you ever helped someone who was not a believer or professed a religion other than ours? This person approached you because they believed you could help them. She may not even know you very well, but in that moment, she needed your help and in her heart she hoped you wouldn't leave her. I don't know what the real intention of this Canaanite woman was when she asked Jesus for help, but finally she came to a level of faith that allowed her to experience God's help and the miracle of her daughter's healing. Jesus needed this faith so that He was not just a magician of human desires, but God who also wants something from man. Jesus also wants a relationship and bases his actions on this relationship in our lives. Even a slight turning to Him, but with faith and trust in the heart, results in the fact that He begins to act in us and transform us internally and even externally. In this Gospel, a double miracle, a double healing, actually happened: the healing of the daughter from the sickness of the body and the healing of the mother from the sickness of the soul caused by unbelief and turning away from God. However, Jesus had to use harsh words, He had to wound her heart so that the sources of faith and love would flow from her. Sometimes telling a difficult truth does not mean contempt for a person or a desire to kick him but is an expression of concern for his life. If I treated someone's unbelief or lack of conversion today as Jesus did two thousand years ago, I would probably encounter criticism, rejection, and even accusation that would probably destroy my priesthood. Because no one is allowed to forbid anything and hurt no one, which makes people today think that they can do whatever they want in their spiritual life, because they will not face any unpleasant consequences because of it. People think that everything is due to them and that they should get everything, even if they don't have to give God anything in return. Jesus, however, sets limits and is not afraid of human reactions, because he wants to see whether a man cares about a relationship with Him or more about achieving the intended goal, treating God as a butler ready to come to every call. God fulfills the desires of those who ask Him, but they also have the proper dispositions to be heard, and the first disposition is to believe in Him and have a relationship with Him. We do not know how this woman's story ended after returning home. We are not sure whether she kept the faith she found or rather remained as before. We know one thing from this story: without true faith we will not get close to Jesus, without a deep relationship with Him, we cannot count on receiving anything from Him. This is God and these are His rules. Grace is not received "for beautiful eyes", but for a good and sincere heart based on a relationship with God, whom one desires, whom one seeks and whom one experiences.

Father Marcin Cwierz, OSPPE

© Milosierni.com 2024

Milosierni13@gmail.com

(+1) 908 476 1477

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience," (Col 3:12)