杏MAP导航

By Sr. Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

On Sunday 杏MAP导航 Francis focused his words before reciting the Angelus on the day鈥檚 Gospel. He highlighted the faith of the Canaanite woman who sought healing for her daughter and showed that humble faith has no bounds.

Cry of suffering

While Jesus is in foreign territory to the north of Galilee a Canaanite woman approached him begging Him to heal her daughter. 鈥淗ave mercy on me, Lord鈥� is the cry from a mother who feels helpless, a 鈥渃ry that is born out of a life marked by suffering鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis said.

The mother insists, even though 鈥淛esus initially ignores her,鈥� and even after Jesus says His mission "is directed only to 鈥榯he lost sheep of the house of Israel鈥�." At that point, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, Jesus 鈥減uts her to the test, citing a proverb: It is not fair to take the children鈥檚 food and throw it to the dogs鈥�.

Jesus's admiration

Her response, said the 杏MAP导航, shows that the woman senses the Most High God present in Jesus: 鈥淵es, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters鈥� table.鈥� That trust-filled wisdom 鈥渢ouches the Master鈥檚 heart,鈥� provoking Him to admire her faith with the words 鈥淲oman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish鈥� (v. 28).

杏MAP导航 Francis then reflected on 鈥淲hat type of faith is great.鈥� Our faith is great when we bring our wounded past to Jesus鈥檚 feet, 鈥渁sking Him to heal it, to give it meaning.鈥�

Bringing our story to the Lord

Each one of us, the 杏MAP导航 continues, has our own story, a story that is often difficult, filled with pain, misfortunes, and sins. 鈥淲hat do I do with my story,鈥� he asked. 鈥淒o I hide it?鈥� No, the 杏MAP导航 said. Instead, 鈥淲e must bring it to the Lord,鈥� with the prayer, 鈥淟ord, if You will it, You can heal me.鈥�

This is what the woman in Sunday鈥檚 Gospel teaches us, the 杏MAP导航 said, inviting everyone to consider their own life-story and to make the Canaanite woman鈥檚 prayer their own. 鈥淟et us go to Jesus, knock on Jesus鈥檚 heart, and say to Him, 鈥楲ord, if You will it, You can heal me鈥�.鈥�

Jesus loves us as we are

We will be able to do this, the 杏MAP导航 continued, 鈥渋f we always have the face of Jesus before us.鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis insisted that Jesus loves us 鈥渁s we are, without make-up,鈥� with a love and compassion 鈥渢hat bears our sins, our mistakes, and our failures.鈥�

Finding Jesus in the Gospels

The Holy Father once again invited everyone to carry a copy of the Gospels with them, in their pockets or purses, or even on their phone 鈥� because it is there, in the Gospels, 鈥渢hat you will find Jesus as He is, as He presents Himself鈥� You will find Jesus who loves us, who loves us a lot, who tremendously wants our well-being.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded his reflection with the prayer that the Blessed Virgin Mary 鈥渕ight intercede with her prayer so that the joy of faith and the desire to communicate it with the witness of a consistent life might grow in every baptized person,鈥� and that we might be given the courage to draw near to Jesus and pray, 鈥淟ord, if You will it, You can heal me.鈥�