The theme for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) invites us to look at the faith that we have received from the apostles. The liturgy does this by putting together Is 56 and Romans 11 with the story of the Canaanite woman who by her humility disarms Jesus and somehow forces him to extend his mission to the Gentiles. Read this article and use the following for your reflection.
1. The Catholic faith that we Filipinos profess was received by us through the work of the Church, not as something that came packaged between the pages of a book, as some deceivingly would put it. The faith was handed on to us in the faithful traditioning of the memoria Christi (memory of Christ), a memory brought to our shores more than four hundred years ago. The gospel of Matthew narrates to us the beginnings of the diffussion of this faith in the work of Jesus himself, and specifically in his meeting with a pagan woman.
Reflect. That Canaanite woman who met Jesus remains unnamed. Yet she is remembered because of her great faith. Jesus called her faith great because of the way she continued to trust in Him in spite of his initial refusal. Here in the Philippines, we seem to favor the option of "kapit sa patalim" (a colloquial expression that literally sounds "grab the knife", but means doing something in desperation) when we are in need. In the gospel story, the woman's faith is revealed precisely in her desperate moment: she calls upon the Lord. What does this mean for you? How does the woman's faith come in direct opposition to those who put their trust in people, or money or one's own designs?
2. The woman expresses her faith in Jesus through gestures that remind one of prayer. This has not escaped some of the Fathers of the Church who take her as a model for persistent and humble prayer.
Reflect. The woman repeatedly cried out to the Lord. Two of her words are brought to us by Matthew: "Lord, have mercy on me", "Lord help me". Put yourself in the woman's situation and try to remember the times when the Lord seemed not to listen to your prayers. What does this episode from Matthew tell you about persevering and being persistent in prayer?
3. In the article linked above we mentioned that a saying like the following could have been interpreted by the early christians in terms of a prohibition to offer the Gospel to the Gentiles (or in the charged atmosphere arising after the Council of Jamnia, even to the Jews)
"Do not give dogs what is holy; and do not throw your pearls before swine,
lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you. (Matthew (RSV) 7:6)
In the light of the story of the Canaanite woman (and the example from Acts 10), how should we understand this saying?
Reflect. The episode of the Canaanite woman requires us to modify our convictions regarding what is clean and unclean, what is worthy of evangelization and what is not. In what ways have your ideas regarding "clean-unclean" prevented you from being a witness even to society's marginalized and unwanted?
