TWENTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

In Christ, We are Made One

I find Catholicism embraces people, situations, and beliefs that, at first appearance, seem to be opposites. Our faith is not an either-or; it is a both-and. In our day-to-day life, we encounter many people, some we know intimately, some are acquaintances, some are familiar but unknown, and some are strangers. Yet in faith, we become sisters and brothers in Christ, His body.
 

In today's gospel, the Canaanite woman was not considered part of the chosen people of Israel. In fact, Jesus first ignores her plea; then He points out that He was only sent for the lost children of Israel. So what is it about this woman that causes Jesus not only to respond to her but also to grant her request? This woman, this foreigner, does three things that show her faith in Jesus. She demonstrates her belief in Jesus's power to heal when she calls out, “Have pity on me, Lord.” Second, she is not asking Jesus for herself. Her plea is for another who is in need of God's mercy and healing. It is for her daughter. Finally, she recognizes her own unworthiness and humbly replies to Jesus, saying, “Even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table.” As Isaiah points out in the first reading, even foreigners who join themselves to the Lord will be brought to His holy mountain, for God's house is a house of prayer for all peoples.

–Jennifer Peña

Send Us Forth are reflections written by St. Matthew parishioners and friends.