By F. Luis Casasús, General Superior of Idente missionaries
Commentary on the Sunday Gospel of 20-8-2017, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Book of Isaiah 56:1.6-7; Letter to the Romans 11:13-15.29-32; Saint Matthew 15:21-28)
What was the fruit of the Canaanite woman’s faith? We would be inclined to say that the healing of her daughter. Of course, this was an obvious result of her insistence, but above all, Jesus was testing the apostles’ faith. He wanted to make sure everyone knew how much he treasured persistent, even stubborn, belief in him. Then, we are witnessing two miracles:
Firstly, a “low level” one, where He responds exactly as the Canaanite woman desired: Let it be done for you as you wish.
Secondly, a “sublime level” miracle, that is the conversion of the apostles’ heart. This miracle is aligned with the will of our Heavenly Father: Be perfect. The first one corresponds to the promise of Christ: Everything else shall be added unto you (Mt 6:33). Like the Canaanite woman, we must trust that God will do something for us, even beyond our imagination.
Jesus, as a Master, never misses an opportunity to teach his disciples crucial issues relating to their lives and their mission, in this case, the meaning of faith and the extent of His own compassion and mercy.
As it has been said many times (perhaps it is never enough!) faith is believe or trust someone, not just believing in something. Even more, as Pope Francis said, Faith is an encounter with Jesus Christ, with God (Feb. 21, 2014). I like this description because we truly have many encounters with Jesus and we can only speak of faith when after each of these encounters an agreement, an alliance arises. This is what we share in our mystical experience of Union of the Soul. Some examples:
– When I understand that He would be listening carefully to a complicated person who has a difficult personality…and I try to do the same.
– When I realize that some of my (good, apparently innocent) habits is disturbing or scandalizes a person…and I quit it immediately and completely. Faith does not refer only to critical situations and challenging or missions. If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities (Lk16: 10). Do I believe in the importance of always being gentle with all my brothers and sisters?
– The clear readiness of another pagan, the Centurion, when he told Jesus: I am not worthy to have you under my roof, just give the word and my servant will be cured (Mt 8: 8).
– Of course, the attitude of the Canaanite woman. She most probably had heard much about Jesus and may even have followed Him. She saw the miracles He had performed. She heard His teachings about God’s love, mercy and of His mission of establishing the reign of God. She knew she would not return home empty. So great was her faith in Jesus that she believed that even if she were to take the mere scraps that fell from the master’s table, it would be sufficient to heal her daughter.
Note that in all the above examples, faith has to do with compassion for others. Saint Monica prayed to God for some 20 years concerning her son Augustine, that he might be drawn to the faith. It would be a remarkable development considering his worldliness and self-indulgent ways. But a priest said to the distraught mother: A son of such tears could not perish. The incredible hope was finally realized by means of the patient prayer of Monica.
Faith is a dynamic concept, which needs to be renewed constantly. We call it both a gift and a virtue. A gift, when we recognize that it comes from the Holy Spirit and a virtue when we embrace it and act with determination.
From a practical point of view, genuine faith has two consequences: imitation (to embody) of Christ and union with Him.
An admiration that does not lead to imitation is a sterile thing. As Saint James warns in his Letter: Faith that does not bear fruit in works, is not faith.
The Greek-Roman essayist Plutarch told a story about the Spartans at one of the Olympiads. In the crowded throng at the Olympic Games, an old man was looking in vain for a seat from which to watch the events. His stumbling attempts to find one were noticed by many Greeks from other states, who mocked him for his age and difficulty in finding a seat. When, however, he came to the section where the Spartans were seated, every man among them rose to his feet and offered him their seats. Somewhat abashed, but nevertheless admiringly, the other Greeks applauded them for their behavior. The old man said with a sigh: Ah, I see what it is. All Greeks know what is right, but only the Spartans do it.
Faith can be understood as the willingness to accept vulnerability (to lose our reputation or our own plans) based on our positive expectations about God’s behavior.
To achieve this, we must recall the “good times”, the blessings that we have received, the assistance we obtained from Him and how He had protected and guided us all this while till this day. By remembering what He has done for us, we will regain our trust and confidence in Him.
-I have been forgiven. Perhaps the most clear, positive and tangible sign of this forgiveness is that my faith has not been taken away.
– I have been purified.
– I have been called, actually chosen to help some people to get closer to God. The motto of Pope Francis, Miserando atque eligendo (literally in Latin by having mercy, by choosing him) refers to the encounter of Jesus with the tax collector, and since He sees by having mercy and by choosing, He says to him, follow me.
The Psalm says: may all the peoples praise you, and the other three readings insist on the fact that faith is a universal gift we all receive (in many different forms and intensities) so that no man has an excuse: Christians, Gentiles or Atheists. Their holocausts and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
Like other gifts from God, we must be good stewards of it. We must apply faith just as we apply hope or love. If our faith is placed in Christ we will receive everlasting life. But, if our trust or faith is placed in our experience, talents or generosity, it is good for nothing and cannot be properly called faith.
There is no alternative to faith. We must learn from the history of the Israelites that when we do not trust God and surrender our lives and plans to Him, we will cause more problems for ourselves and those who have been entrusted to our care. Regretting and wallowing in self-pity only make us inward-looking. Staring at our navel instead of looking up to God will lead us to depression and sadness. During such trials, instead of becoming resentful of God, we should take such occasions to grow in faith, in grace and in holiness. It is said that the same fire that purifies gold also destroys the straws.
Only then can we surrender our lives to God, knowing that nothing can overwhelm us as St Paul says: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8: 37-39).
Faith and hope are not separate entities. In order to expect something you must trust that your expectation will be met. You cannot have partial trust in your expectation and expect that your expectation will be fully met because at some point you did not trust God or expect God to fulfill your expectation. We have to learn to look beyond our doubts and see our promise. In the same manner, we cannot bound time to a God who is not bounded by time. Three generations had to pass before God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled. It was a way to strengthen their faith of Israelites and to help them to psychologically come to terms with themselves. He wants to provoke us to deeper faith even when we think he is ignoring us or rejecting our request. Just as Jesus pushed the Canaanite woman, so he pushes us sometimes.
We cannot expect God to answer in our time if our time does not correspond to God’s time.
This is why Jesus at first ignores the Canaanite woman and then he tells her that his mission does not (yet) includes Gentiles. But Jesus himself changes his mind and heals the Syrian girl.
Jesus changes his mind? Can we believe that Jesus can change his mind? And what does it mean for the Gospel if he does?
Yes, God changes His mind on seeing the tearful prayers of the people and blesses them. Likewise, He will be willing to change his mind before your prayer. God surrenders himself before the tears of his children, tears that are shed in faith.
This is His faith in us. First, God displays his Faith, Hope and Love, and then it is our turn. This is why we must believe that God will hear our prayers, even when we do not know how to pray as we ought.
At the Wedding Feast at Cana, Mary tells Jesus the wine is running short. Although a simple statement, it is filled with great trust and expectation. this is how we are to approach God with our prayer requests. We should be filled with trust and expectation (faith and hope) because Jesus is always ready to forgive us. When Mary asked him to perform this miracle the reply he gave was noteworthy: My time has not yet come. (Jn 2:4). But Jesus changes his mind before the request and purity of Mary in order to save a family from humiliation.
Let us ask today for a faith that bears fruit and that leads to proclamation and to witness.
