Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
The Gospel for this Sunday is from Matthew 15:21-28, which speaks of the Woman from Cana whose daughter was possessed by a demon spirit and is suffering terribly.
We know that she approached Jesus and entreated Him to help her and heal her daughter. The woman was not a Jew but a Gentile of Canaanite stock, who were old enemies of the Jews, yet she was not afraid to approach Jesus. She genuinely believed that Jesus could help her so she exercised her gift of faith. This Canaanite woman thus became one of the first of countless Gentiles who later believed in the Gospel and joined the new faith. She stands out as a perfect example of the fact that the Christian Faith is for everyone.
True faith in Christ is a gift of the Holy Spirit. But the example of the Cananite Woman shows that faith is also a matter of human resolve that each person can exercise, for faith builds a person up, a home, a marriage, a friendship, a ministry, a parish, a society. Faith unlocks the treasures of God’s wisdom and releases His power into our lives with often astonishing results.
St. Simeon the New Theologian said, “No one and nothing can stop us from believing, if we desire it. We can decide to believe and immediately we believe. Faith from God’s perspective is an empowerment by the Holy Spirit.”
The example of the Canaanite woman also teaches us about persistence in faith. You see Jesus tested her, seeing her strong faith, as St. John Chrysostom put it: “not in insult or abuse were Christ’s words spoken, but for the purpose of calling forth her virtue and revealing the treasure in her”.
One of the most poignant aspects of this gospel is that by speaking with the Cananite Woman, Jesus gave us an example of breaking down religious prejudices and racial barriers.
In conclusion the gift of faith, illumined by the Holy Spirit, is a powerful instrument in breaking down all kinds of barriers.
Glory to God for all things!
