(Optional Memorial for
the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome)
 |
| “Christ and the Canaanite Woman “ by Juan De Flandes, c. 1500 |
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading 1: Jeremiah 31:1-7
At that time, says the LORD,
I will be the God of all the
tribes of Israel,
and they shall be my people.
Thus says the LORD:
The people that escaped the
sword
have found favor in the
desert.
As Israel comes forward to be
given his rest,
the LORD appears to him from
afar:
With age-old love I have
loved you;
so I have kept my mercy
toward you.
Again I will restore you, and
you shall be rebuilt,
O virgin Israel;
Carrying your festive
tambourines,
you shall go forth dancing
with the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant
vineyards
on the mountains of Samaria;
those who plant them shall
enjoy the fruits.
Yes, a day will come when the
watchmen
will call out on Mount
Ephraim:
"Rise up, let us go to
Zion,
to the LORD, our God."
For thus says the LORD:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the
nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The LORD has delivered his
people,
the remnant of Israel.
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Commentary on Jer 31:1-7
CCC: Jer 31 1611
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Responsorial Psalm: Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
R. (see 10d)
The Lord will guard us as a shepherd
guards his flock.
Hear the word of the LORD, O
nations,
proclaim it on distant isles,
and say:
He who scattered Israel, now
gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd
his flock.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his
flock.
The LORD shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the
hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount
the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to
the LORD'S blessings.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his
flock.
Then the virgins shall make
merry and dance,
and young men and old as
well.
I will turn their mourning
into joy.
I will console and gladden
them after their sorrows.
R. The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his
flock.
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Commentary on Jer 31:10, 11-12ab, 13
The song from Jeremiah recalls the Diaspora, the exile of the Hebrews. In these strophes, the prophet sees the salvific work of God who shepherds his people as they return from exile in the “new exodus,” and the reunification of the people. He prophesies their return to the land from which they had been driven, giving praise to God for his mercy.
CCC: Jer 31 1611
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Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28
At that time Jesus withdrew
to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman
of that district came and called out,
"Have pity on me, Lord,
Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a
demon."
But he did not say a word in
answer to her.
His disciples came and asked
him,
"Send her away, for she
keeps calling out after us."
He said in reply,
"I was sent only to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel."
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."
She said, "Please, Lord,
for even the dogs eat the scraps
that fall from the table of
their masters."
Then Jesus said to her in
reply,
"O woman, great is your
faith!
Let it be done for you as you
wish."
And her daughter was healed
from that hour.
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Commentary on Mt 15:21-28
There was a long history of tension between the Canaanites and the Hebrews that was at a high point when Jesus encountered the woman. She clearly knew what she was doing as she addressed him as “Lord, Son of David,” identifying him by that name as a Hebrew.
In this selection Jesus has withdrawn from Palestine to escape the persecution of the Pharisees and scribes and to spend time training his disciples. The region they come to is predominantly Gentile and sets the scene for his encounter with a Canaanite woman (in St. Mark’s Gospel it is the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24-30).
Jesus, while the words attributed to him are harsh, did not, as most of his own contemporaries would have, begin throwing stones at her to drive her away. His disciples were begging him to do that. Jesus recognized the great gulf between them, but opened his healing touch to the woman’s child when her faith in him was demonstrated.
The exchange between Jesus and the woman is intended to describe the universal nature of the messianic mission. Within the dialogue we see Jesus initially refuse to accede to the woman’s request (even though she recognized his authority “the woman came and did him homage, saying, 'Lord, help me'”).
This same pattern of refusal and then acquiescence is found in St. John’s Gospel (John 2:4, John 4:48). The metaphor being exchanged in this banter refers to the “children” being the Hebrews, and the “dogs” a reference to the Gentiles (frequently referred to as such by Hebrews of the day). While this seems out of character for the Lord, our translation leaves out some conversational nuances that soften the dialogue. The word translated as “dogs” in this translation could be more accurately expressed as “pups” or “little dogs.” It is also significant that the children and pups are eating at the same table, again expressing the universal nature of the mission of the Messiah.
CCC: Mt 15:22 439, 448; Mt 15:28 2610
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Reflection:
Heavenly Father, we humbly
pray that those suffering from the coronavirus be returned quickly to full
health by the power of your Son’s healing presence, and those in fear be calmed
through the Holy Spirit.
In Christ’s name we pray.
– Amen.
In spite of the way the
exchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman sounds, the message given is
actually one of unity. We hear Jesus refuse the woman who has come to him. She
caught him at a very bad time. He had just traveled to Tyre; he needed a rest,
time away from the confrontations with the Pharisees in Palestine. And here
comes this woman, a Gentile, who throws herself at him. It is interesting to
note that each, Jesus and the woman, are both turning their backs on their
native lands. Each of them are moving
toward an encounter arranged by the Father.
Jesus is true man as well as
true God. He became tired just as we do. Curing the sick and casting out demons
took much effort on his part. So, he declines. He has not been as successful
with the “children of Israel” as he had hoped. The gospel he brought to his
native land had not been well received, and here comes this Gentile woman
making claims on that message of salvation.
Jesus uses a slang expression
but softens it. In scripture we hear the word he used was “dogs”; however, the
Aramaic expression would have been more like pups. The woman persists and uses
the metaphor to her own advantage, and the Lord expels the unclean spirit from
her daughter.
It is clear from this
encounter that Jesus brought the message to everyone, not just a select few.
And his call to us is to take up that message and pass it on to others. We find
that difficult to do at times. We even find it difficult to express that message
to others who are tasked with sharing the same message, our brothers and
sisters in Christ.
This then is what the Gospel
calls us to do on this day: to bring the message of God’s love to those we
meet, to express it in words and actions in a way that cannot be misunderstood.
In this way we respond to the Lord as he responds to us, in love and
understanding.
In
this strange year where many of us will not be able to receive the Blessed
Sacrament or celebrate as a community in our houses of worship, we must be
prepared to receive spiritual communion in prayer:
My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You
were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be
separated from You.
Amen.
Pax
[1]
The picture is “Christ and the Canaanite Woman “ by Juan De Flandes, c. 1500.
[3]
The readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the
psalm and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.
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