20th Sunday of the Year (A)

(Edited) Sunday reflections: (From) Years 2014 (A), 2015 (B), and 2016 (C)

August 17, 2014
Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Psalm 67
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28

"You have great faith!"

Before this story on the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter, there are many other miraculous healings in Matthew's gospel. Like the other evangelists, Matthew presents a literary structure by which Jesus performs these miracles. First, it describes a person or a group of people who approach Jesus directly (or through His apostles); second, this person(s) makes his request known in faith to the Lord; and third, the Lord grants his plea, and he is healed according to the strength of faith they have in Him. This is the literary structure which the evangelist Matthew presented in the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter in Matthew 15:21-28.

Between chapters 8 to 15 of St. Matthew's gospel, Jesus also performed miracles before the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter: the healing of Peter's mother-in-law (Mt 8:15); that of two blind men (Mt 9:29); and the healing of people who got well just by touching the fringe of the Lord's cloak (Mt 14:36). Compared to these previous miracles, it is the healing of the Canaanite woman's daughter that is remarkable. This is because of the greatness of faith expressed by the Canaanite woman. Despite the taboos that existed between the Jewish culture and the Canaanites, she expressed her faith in Christ with a humility that obtained not only a miracle for her daughter, but also a word of praise from Christ.

The concern of the Canaanite woman was life for her daughter. The Catechism teaches in paragraph #2288 that life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to the faithful by God. Everyone must take reasonable care of their health and take care of others' health as well. As many can work and care for others, then many are already following Christ and fulfilling His word through their work, business, or professions. Caring for all life and the health of others is not an easy task. This means that each one is responsible for others, and at the same time taking good care of themselves at the same time. But with patience rooted in Christ, and faith in Christ's power to save, each one can fulfill their respective Christian vocation like the Canaanite woman in the gospel.

Scripture quote:
"All who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful my house of prayer." (Isaiah 56)