St. Joseph Catholic Church

August 16, 2020   

The theme of the readings is the inclusiveness, the universality of the Kingdom of God and faith. Although God set the Hebrew people apart as His chosen race, He included all nations in His plan for salvation and blessed all the families of the earth in Abraham. By declaring through the prophet Isaiah in the first reading, "my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." The long awaited Messianic Kingdom was intended not only for the Jews but for all nations. Today's Psalm (Ps. 67)  rejects all types of religious exclusivity: "Let all the peoples praise you, O God."       In the second reading, Paul explains that although the Jews were the chosen people, many of them rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah, and consequently, God turned to the Gentiles who received mercy through their faith in Jesus. In the Gospel, Jesus demonstrates that salvation was meant for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews by healing the daughter of the Gentile woman as a reward for her strong faith. Thus, Jesus shows that God's salvation, mercy and love are available to all who call out to him in faith. We also need to pull down our walls of separation and embrace the universality of God's love.

We also remember the extraordinary faith of the Canaanite woman in the Gospel. It is the unshakable determination of a mother. She refused to be put off or to give up. How delighted she must have been when Jesus finally answered her prayer. It meant that all her trouble, all her begging, all her embarrassment, had not been in vain. She is an example to us of perseverance, courage and love. But she is also an example of faith.        Jesus said to her, "woman, you have great faith, let your wish be granted." She is a model of what could be called tough faith. It is because we have faith that we refuse to give up. Faith impels us to persevere, to struggle on, often with a guarantee of a happy outcome. Indeed, Jesus' interaction surprises us. At first, He  ignored her. Then, He refused her and tried to put her off. However, she was a very determined lady and refused to take 'No' for an answer. Finally, He granted her request. Like the  Canaanite woman, we need to persist in prayer with trusting confidence.
Take care of yourself and stay safe.                                                                                                             Father Uko