Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Mt 15: 21-28
August 20, 2023 | Sunday

Today’s Gospel

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from the area, came and cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”

But Jesus did not answer her, not even a word. So his disciples approached him and said, “Send her away! See how she is shouting after us.” Then Jesus said to her, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.” But the woman was already kneeling before Jesus, and said, “Sir, help me!” Jesus answered, “It is not right to take the bread from the children and throw it to puppies.” The woman replied, “That is true, sir, but even puppies eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.”

Then Jesus said, “Woman, how great is your faith! Let it be as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Today’s Reflection:

I heard once that in places of “healing miracles” like Lourdes, the percentage of healing as miracle responses to pilgrims’ prayers is way fewer than the actual number of petitions offered for healing. This is a modern context of what we have heard from the gospel reading. We always pray for good health and betterment in life. But at times, we pass through a long experience of being “ridiculed” by God until such time that, responded by Him, we probably hear Him, “Oh… better luck next time.” This does not teach us of a “sadistic” God who wants to play first with our
emotions rather, this becomes an eye-opener for us who pray to God. Life will always spin conspiracy against us. But, the test presented before us is how we must exhibit patience before we can fully experience the prayers we have been asking for. God trains us to maturely wade through the test so that we may finally grab the answers to our prayers with rather changed and matured perspectives. This reminds us of the common notion that everything happens in God’s time because God only gives us our deepest desires after making sure  we are prepared for them.   ./Vulnerasti, 2023