The Catholic Calendar for Wednesday, August 9, 2006
Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr

Readings from the Liturgy of the Word:
Jeremiah 31:1-7
Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
Matthew 15: 21-28

A reflection on today's Sacred Scripture:

When I read today’s gospel, I am struck by the apparent rudeness our Lord exhibits with the Canaanite woman who pleads for help for her suffering daughter. His language appears rough and even condescending with His comment about throwing children’s food to the dogs. “How could the Lord treat this woman in this manner?” I ask myself.

But after some time with this passage it occurs to me that perhaps the Lord intended to heal the sick daughter from the start and that He was doing two things. First, He was testing the woman’s faith and, second, showing that even though the Jews thought the Gentiles to be excluded from God’s chosen people, His love extends to all people. I believe this was the true case of what happened here. Jesus commends the woman on her great faith and shows the disciples that God’s love is for everyone.

- Don Claunch, SFO
(dlclaunch at bresnan dot net)