20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Well, here we are at the middle of August, with just two weeks to go before the schools reopen after the long summer holidays. When you stop to think about it time just seems to be passing by. It is worrying when a 23 year tells you that his life is flashing by his eyes what must it be doing for those who are older? The scripture readings for the20th Sunday are all about faith and trust in God. The readings show that our heavenly father welcomes everyone and listens to those who seek Him. The First Reading tells us that the LORD calls for righteousness and justice. Foreigners who love and serve Him, keeping the covenant and observing the Sabbath, will find acceptance in His house as his house is the house of prayer for all nations. In the Second Reading St Paul tells us Brothers and sisters, as the apostle to the Gentiles, I glorify my ministry, making my race envious for salvation. Rejection brings reconciliation, and God’s gifts and call endure. Mercy awaits all
Our Gospel reading is about the faith of the Canaanite woman whose daughter was being tormented by a devil when you read the story, we realize it is really about the great faith that she has and it was that faith in Jesus that cured her daughter even though she had to be persistent in dealing with the Lord. The woman in today’s Gospel story is not satisfied with just tears though. Her daughter “is tormented by a demon.” Parents among us know what that might feel like and how fiercely we would spring into action if a “cure” was before us for our own sick child. She cries out and asks Jesus for help … and perseveres even when the disciples try to send her away and Jesus Himself rebuffs her! Jesus relents because her faith is great. In the same story we see much about ourselves and our own faith. Over a number of years, I have known people who have been praying for something for a family member and very often they have said to me that the prayers have not been heard let alone answered. I have always told them to hang in there to persist like the Canaanite Woman and not give up the prayers because they are always heard and this has been the case with so many people throughout history.
In the same way as the Canaanite woman pestered Jesus, we should never give up though we mightn’t have our requests granted when WE want them, they will be granted when we really need the things that we are praying for. The message of today’s readings is all about FAITH life can be a bit of a pickle with good and bad things within it, but a life lived with faith will see all the various obstacles being removed. Would our faith be as persistent as the faith of the woman in this Sundays Gospel? Only you can answer that one and I hope that your faith is persistent like the Canaanite woman whose daughter Jesus Cured because faith moves mountains but remember not to stop climbing!!
Fullerton T 