Commentary on the Gospel of

Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF and Luis Manuel Suárez CMF

            In Roger Young’s movie Jesus, the disciples are scandalized by the affirming response of Jesus to the Canaanite woman’s prayer. One of them approaches Jesus and asks with no little irritation: “Master, our God is for the Gentiles?” Jesus replies, “I saw a dying girl.” Jesus then walks forward, but the disciples remain rooted to their ground. Jesus turns back and asks them, “Would you rather I let her die?” Disciples remain silent. Jesus walks up to them and tells them, “Look, this woman has taught me that my message is for the Gentiles as well. If I can learn, so can you.”

If Jesus can learn, so can we. Jesus was open to the signs of faith in people. He was willing to be taught by his Father through the many experiences that came his way. When faced with the might of the Canaanites, the Israelites clung to their fears and bias and refused to learn from God’s lessons in the past (the first reading). How open and receptive am I to the teaching moments that God provides me?

Adapted from: Claretian Bible Diary

Paulson Veliyannoor, CMF - frpaulson@gmail.com

 

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Fr. Luis Manuel Suárez CMF

Numbers 13:1-2, 25–14:1, 26-29, 34-35; Matthew 15:21-28

To believe or not to believe, that is the question. Because in life not everything is clear, because sometimes darkness is greater than light, because some difficulties seem insurmountable and some challenges seem superior to our forces...

Some of this was lived by the People of Israel. After the initial force, when they came out of slavery, they lived the test of having to walk through the desert ... Day by day, step by step... With news of the battles they should fight to get to take their place in the promised land. And then they stopped trusting. They forgot about the God who gave them life for free and that brought them out of Egypt for free.

Some of this was also lived by the Canaanite woman of the Gospel. A difficulty greater than her strength, in the life of her daughter. And she goes to Jesus, looking for help. Above all, trusting. And, although he was a foreigner, Jesus ends up praising her faith: "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish."

To believe or not to believe. To trust or to distrust ... Knowing that faith does not work the miracle, but prepares you to receive it. That is the question.

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