August 3rd, 2022

The Gospel According to Matthew 15:21-28

Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. So, his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes, it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Reflection: Perhaps one of the most precious and powerful gifts we can give another person is to really listen to them, to listen with quiet, fascinated attention, with our whole being, fully present. – Kay Lindahl

 How many times, have any of us, had a conversation with a friend or co-worker or even our children or spouse and not been listening? Or how about this one…being at church during mass and your mind starts to wander away thinking of ‘what’ you will be doing afterwards? Like where are we going to go for breakfast, ‘Oh,’ and we need to go to Costco, grocery shopping, etc., etc… Is this rude?

Of course, it is! When we pray, God is always listening to us. He hears our prayers, are we listening to Him? Jesus encounters many people who are possessed, and today we hear about one who is demon-possessed and suffering terribly. As her mother cries for ‘her’ mercy, Jesus is silent, He waits for her, He waits to hear her case. He wants to hear about her faith. In her pleading is a profession of faith. She believes in Jesus, she knows in her heart that Jesus can indeed heal her daughter. The passion of her pleading shows that her faith is pure in her heart. Of that, Jesus is convinced. He does and will do the same for each of us, answering the deepest desires of our hearts. Listen…can you hear Him?

Action of the Day: Today, look up this Sunday’s readings. Each day this week review and reflect on these readings. On Sunday you should be able to follow a lot closer, bringing a deeper meaning to God’s word and letting Him know that you are, indeed, fully present, and listening to Him.

Audio Reflection: