The Canaanite Woman,Elia,5th S,Sept.26,10

The Canaanite Woman,Elia,5^th S,Sept.26,10

(Mt.15:21-228)

Today’s Gospel presents before us a woman of extraordinary faith and commitment. The Canaanite woman is an authentic exemplar of the faith that Jesus always speaks about. She is unwavering and persistent. She is committed and absolutely trusting. She entertains no doubts or vacillations in her mind about the divine power of Jesus. It is with this confidence that she approaches Jesus. She is the right model for us in our spiritual journey.

Tyre and Sidon are towns that bordered Galilee and are now in the modern state of Lebanon.

Jesus might have withdrawn into these non-Jewish territories to avoid temporarily the oppressive regime of Herod Antipas who was ruling Galilee at that time.

Sidon was one of the sons of Canaan and hence, it was natural that his descendants who lived in this region were called Canaanites..

It was while Jesus was in this region that he was approached by this Canaanite woman. She was sure that Jesus could do the miracle she was looking for .She was helpless and was inconsolably in anguish because of what was happening in her daughter’s life. Her daughter was tormented by the Satan. No cure existed for the torment. Only divine intervention could cure her daughter. When she heard that Jesus was passing by her town, she rushed towards Him and shouted at the top of her voice to attract His attention. The disciples did not have the sensitivity to feel her pain and wanted to drive her away. But she knew that this was the most opportune moment in her life for the cure .From her standing position on the way side, we see her falling on her knees before Jesus and pestering Him with her request. A mother’s anguish knows no bounds. She was not asking anything for herself but only for her daughter.

In spite of the first apparent refusal of Jesus to come to her aid, she persisted in her request: “Lord , help me.” Jesus again tested the fiber of her faith by telling her that it was not proper on his part to give the benefits of salvation to the non-Jews before offering them to the Jews. Using the same metaphors that Jesus used, she responded that He would not be denying anything that was due to the Jews by saying that the puppies below the table were fed by the crumbs that fell from the table. She asserted that she was not asking for the bread at all. She would be satisfied with the crumbs that would fall from the table.

Jesus was using the occasion to test the power of her faith. This was a lesson to the disciples. The disciples, in spite of their closeness to Jesus, never felt deep in their hearts the divine power and strength of Jesus. She not only got what she wanted but she received some of the choicest words of praise that Jesus ever lavished upon any one. Who would not get thrilled at hearing those words from the Son of God: “O woman, great is your faith. Be it done for you as you desire.”?

What we see here is a great faith- filled request and the response it gets from Jesus. This is the type of faith that should be reflected in our lives. We should never desist from our prayer life nor withdraw from our attachment to the Lord just because we don’t see the results immediately. We have to go one asking Jesus to come to our assistance when we face hardships and challenges in life. We should never be afraid. Like her, confronting all obstacles, and hardships, we should remain closer to Jesus.

The disciples could not drive her away. Nor should the obstacles and hurdles dive us away from Jesus.

The following words of St. John Vianney are very appropriate on this occasion: “We often find that our Lord does not grant us what we ask for immediately; he delays meeting our request so that our desire might increase in ardor, so that we might better appreciate the values of what we ask for .It is not a refusal but a test that prepares us to receive more abundantly what we desire.”

Another important lesson is that no body is outside the mercy and compassion of Jesus. The Canaanite woman is every one of us who is a sinner. Jesus will never abandon us because we are unworthy and sinful. Our persistent cry towards him will definitely bring about forgiveness and mercy and we would be forgiven and liberated from the oppression of sins in our life.

The life and faith of the Canaanite woman reveal to each one of us that the great door of mercy is open for all of us, struggling in this world with the baggage of sins.