Dear Friends in Christ,
One of the most interesting things about the gospels is that some of the most important people in them are not named. When the Apostles and their associates wrote down their memories in gospel form, they remembered the people and Jesus’ experiences with them. It seems that their proper names were irrelevant. What mattered, however, is the example the people gave us.
We meet one of these “nameless” people this Sunday in the gospel reading. Jesus directs us to pay attention to this person when He praises her in these words “O Woman, great is your faith!” What is it about the woman which is so important?
In the gospel, Jesus encounters a Gentile woman in Phoenicia. She approaches Him, motivated by love for her daughter who is held in bondage by evil. Here is the first reason the woman’s faith is great. Out of concern for her daughter, the woman seeks Jesus’ help. We learn from her that our most powerful prayers are those motivated by love for others.
The dialogue between the Gentile woman and Jesus proceeds haltingly. It appears, at first glance, that Jesus and His disciples rebuff the woman’s attempts to get Jesus’ help. But is that what is really happening? Some commentaries on Holy Scripture that speak about this gospel passage suggest that these apparent rebuffs are not uncharitable. Rather, through these dynamics, Jesus and His disciples encourage the woman to be persistent in petition. This persistence and courage are another reason the woman’s faith is great. If we read carefully, the woman shows great humility and respect. She does not demand or act brusquely. She recognizes that she is a creature of God, a sinner, in need of a Savior. Her humility and respect of Jesus also make her prayer great.
As the dialogue ends, Jesus declares the woman’s faith great and frees the woman’s daughter from possession. Jesus makes it clear that this is a result of the woman’s great faith being put into action.
We are privileged to meet this woman of great faith in the Sunday’s gospel. May we pray for the grace to grow in faith so that our faith becomes great in the eyes of God.
In Christ,
Fr. Michael