Dear Parish Family,

The Gospel narrative of Jesus’ encounter with the ‘Canaanite woman’ has many Scripture scholars taking opposing stands of interpretation. The other readings of this week-end from Isaiah 56 and Romans 11 give us fresh ground of assimilating this wonderful encounter for our own spiritual growth. Jesus takes his disciples to pagan territory, an area according to Jewish tradition considered cities of sin and rebellion against God. Here they are met by a woman of Canaanite origin. The Canaanites were traditional enemies of Israel and it was a cultural and religious taboo to talk to women especially from other cultures. The reaction of the disciples to send her away and Jesus’ seemingly stern rebuff of drawing lines of division between Jews and gentiles and the purpose of his mission solely to the Jewish nation are all deep seated sentiments of ‘traditional Jews’. 

It is content of the conversation and the end result of the encounter that carries to us, the faith community the kernel of the message. This perceived enemy and outcast (in Jewish eyes) is a woman who has deep understanding of God’s work as she addresses Jesus as ‘Son of David’ a Jewish title for Messiah. She follows it with a hallowed prayer of a fervent Israelite, “Lord help me”. Here she is acknowledging that Jesus is divine and He can save.  In the face of this deep faith Jesus takes a step in the direction of the popular insult term for Gentiles: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” In turn, the woman has the blessed hutzpah to make a witty play on Jesus’ image: “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” The original transliteration of her reply can be rendered as, ‘The children who have pet dogs share the same food’. Here is a woman of unshakeable faith and Jesus acknowledges it and grants her request to show his disciples that he is the Savior of all humankind. This lesson was well learned as the early Church would defy all expectation and embrace the pagans into its fold and we all are in the church today as the result of this change of heart. The wonderful plan of God still amazes us.

Can we challenge our prejudices and misgivings about people around us and embrace them as Christ loved and praised this woman of our Gospel? There are places of contempt in our neighborhood that we avoid, and yet they are the places where the Gospel is most needed. God has a wonderful plan for the world, to spread his message of hope and love and each of us have a role to play in bringing about this kingdom. A faith kept to ourselves never grows but when shared it multiplies.
 

 Fr. Tom Kunnel C.O