Persistence in Prayer

August 16, 2020, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081620.cfm

Today’s Gospel from Matthew could be considered the very beginning of our salvation story.  We aren’t Jewish, most of us probably never were.  Jesus, so it was thought back then, had only come to save the Israelites, the Jews, and nobody else.

Now Jesus heads off to the regions of Tyre and Sidon, probably to get a bit of an escape.  Here comes the Canaanite woman, not a Jewish woman, but a Gentile and the scene that unfolds is quite remarkable.

There are so many perspectives to take from this but let’s focus on the persistence of the Canaanite woman.   Her faith begins by calling Jesus the Son of David, a title of earthly power.  She knew Jesus was a great man and could do marvelous things but she didn’t know who Jesus really was yet. Her faith led her to believe that Jesus, whoever He was, could do great things for her.  She was desperate.  The disciples were in her way, they didn’t want her daughter healed out of compassion and love, they looked at her like an annoying fly buzzing around their faces.

His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”

Whatever Jesus had to do for her, they wanted it done and wanted her gone.  Jesus finally confronts the woman and the conversation seems harsh!  

But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” 

Context is everything when reading the Bible.  The word Jesus used for dogs, kunaria, means a household pet and not the scroungy street dogs from Jerusalem.  When I was growing up if I called a person a dog, especially a woman it was a major insult but in this case, it was not so bad.

The Canaanite woman doesn’t even seem phased.  She has the wit of a true Greek as she responds:

“Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”

What faith!  She still doesn’t give up and her persistence pays off and her daughter is healed by the Master.  Jesus saw so much more in her faith at that moment to exclaim: 

“O woman, great is your faith!”.  

She has moved from seeing Jesus as a great man who can help her to see who He really is, and Jesus notices this transformation in her as well and the fact that she is a Gentile becomes irrelevant.

The second reading from St. Paul to the Romans spells it out clearly, Jesus’ salvific mission is to the whole world, not just the Jewish people, but to all, and this includes us!

I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them.

The Caananite woman, a Gentile, a non-Jew, is one of the first to take advantage of this.  Her persistent prayer of petition to Jesus is what saves her daughter from the demon.  Our Psalms today echo those prayers of petition asking for pity, blessing, and salvation.  

Now we must reflect, how are we doing in our prayer life?  Are we still persistent in asking God for help and healing in whatever is troubling us no matter how long it’s been going on?  Some things are individual troubles that affect us personally.  Some things are prayers for our families.  Some things are issues in our towns, our church community, our state, our diocese, our nation, and the whole world.  I understand now why a great saint once said pray without ceasing! There really is a lot we should be asking God for help with right now and that’s ok, our God has very broad shoulders, trust Him to handle all of our issues we bring to him. 

This to shall pass and our troubles won’t last forever. Prayer should be the main tool we use to get us through these tough times.  Sure, we may not all receive the healing that the Canaanite woman’s daughter did but perseverance in prayer will at minimum make those tougher times much more tolerable.  Pray...pray and pray some more and don’t let other things get in your way like Jesus’ disciples tried to get in the way of the Canaanite woman.

I think St. Augustine put it far more eloquently than I have when he said: 

If God seems slow in responding, it is because He is preparing a better gift.  He will not deny us.  God withholds what you are not yet ready for.  He wants you to have a lively desire for His greatest gifts.  All of which is to say, pray always and do not lose heart.