Humble Yet Firm

The WORD today (See http://usccb.org/bible/readings/021215.cfm) reminds me that we should have a humble yet firm faith in God.

Not all people can handle rejection. Others get sad, depressed and some even commit suicide because of rejection in love or career. In today’s gospel, we see someone who was able not only to handle the seemingly “rejection”, but to stay firm and humble throughout – thus getting what she wanted.

Being Greek, the woman in the gospel is classified as a Gentile. And since the “chosen people” during Jesus time were Jews, his focus was on them. That’s why when she came to Him, he “initially rejected” her by saying that the children (of God) should be fed first. He was focusing on the Jews. And went on further and told that the food of the children should not be fed to the dogs. However, the woman did not back down. She was humble, yet firm. She wanted her daughter to be healed, so she humbly accepted that they were not the main priority of Jesus, but was firm when she told Jesus that even the dogs would eat the leftovers of the children. She is not asking to be prioritized, there is no sense of entitlement in her, but she is just humbly asking if she can also benefit from Jesus’ power.

Just because you don’t get something the first time you ask for it, doesn’t mean God will not give It to you. Jesus eventually gave the woman what she wanted in the first place. He rewarded the humble yet firm faith of the woman and healed her daughter.

We should be inspired by the woman. There is no sense of entitlement in her, no feeling that Jesus should give her what she wants because she is a good person, or because what she is asking is something good for her daughter. She had a lot of faith, but was humble. She accepted when Jesus initially rejected her request, but had great faith that she did not leave and was persistent. Many times in life we do not get something the first time we pray for it. We sometimes keep on praying, but sometimes we give up easily. May we be inspired by the woman in the gospel and have a humble yet firm faith in God.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for all your blessings. Thank you for being generous, for blessing us even if we do not deserve it. Sorry for the times I show weak faith in you. Help me be like the woman with humble yet firm faith in you, especially when things doesn’t go my way or when I don’t get what I pray for. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

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February 12, 2015

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 332

Reading 1 Gn 2:18-25

The LORD God said:

“It is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make a suitable partner for him.”

So the LORD God formed out of the ground

various wild animals and various birds of the air,

and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them;

whatever the man called each of them would be its name.

The man gave names to all the cattle,

all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals;

but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the LORD God cast a deep sleep on the man,

and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs

and closed up its place with flesh.

The LORD God then built up into a woman

the rib that he had taken from the man.

When he brought her to the man, the man said:

“This one, at last, is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

this one shall be called ‘woman,’

for out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother

and clings to his wife,

and the two of them become one flesh.

The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

R. (see 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Blessed are you who fear the LORD,

who walk in his ways!

For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork;

blessed shall you be, and favored.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine

in the recesses of your home;

Your children like olive plants

around your table.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Behold, thus is the man blessed

who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion:

may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.

Alleluia Jas 1:21bc

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you

and is able to save your souls.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mk 7:24-30

Jesus went to the district of Tyre.

He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,

but he could not escape notice.

Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.

She came and fell at his feet.

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,

and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

He said to her, “Let the children be fed first.

For it is not right to take the food of the children

and throw it to the dogs.”

She replied and said to him,

“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”

Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.

The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed

and the demon gone.