The WORD today reminds me how my faith should be - Strong, humble, and persistent.
In the gospel, we saw a woman we should imitate. She showed great humility, persistence, and strong faith. This is one of the few times Jesus actually “tests” a person. Usually, Jesus immediately grants people’s requests – for healing from sickness and disease, from freedom from evil spirits, even from death. However, today’s gospel shows us a different side of Jesus. His approach initially seems tough. “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs” – meaning Jews first, the chosen people. Sila muna ang tutulungan ko, tsaka na kayo. It doesn’t stop there. Jesus even compares her (being a Greek makes her a non Jew, a gentile) to a dog. Grabe diba, request denied na nga, tapos kinumpara pa sa aso.
Did she stop there? Of course not!
Hindi porke di mo agad nakuha ang pinag dadasal mo, titigil ka na. Minsan gusto siguro makita ng Diyos gaano mo ka gusto and pinagdadasal mo, at gaano kalakas ang tiwala mo sa kanya.
It’s inspiring how great the woman’s faith, persistence and humility. She was humble to come to him for her daughter’s healing, and was humble enough to accept and not be offended by Jesus words. Even though she did not get a warm treatment, she did not back down. Then we saw her faith, na kahit parang nireject na sya ni Jesus, she still believed. We also saw her persistence. She did not just leave. She humbly insisted on her request. on her faith. Sabi nya “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Kung baga, sabi nya, OK lang Lord na kung tingin mo aso kami, pero may faith parin ako na kahit konti, kahit tira tira nalang ng para sa Jews, ay makakapag pagaling sa anak ko. And when Jesus told her that her daughter is free from the demon, she did not say “Lord, sumama ka naman sakin para sure” or “Lord, are you sure?” She just went home. She had great faith in Jesus that she was confident on the power of the mere words of Jesus.
Hindi lahat ng bagay nakukuha sa isang dasal. Minsan kailangang magpakumbaba pa, magdasal pa, at mangulit pa. Pero dapat buo ang tiwala sa Diyos.
How about us? How do we react When God seem to say “no” to our requests, even if we feel that our request is for our good, or for other people’s good, what do we tell him? Do we get mad, insisting that what we are asking is a good thing, or do we humbly accept his will but keeping the faith? Do we respectfully ask in faith, or are we proud, demanding that God grant our requests because we feel we are entitled to it?
May we always remember to have complete faith in God, yet humble enough to know and accept that His will is perfect, even if it does not seem to coincide with ours
Father God,
Thank you for today. thank you for another day to live. Thank you for the inspiring reminder. Lord, I thank you for reminding me how important faith, humility and persistence are. Thank you for inspiring and challenging me, Lord. I am sorry for the times I act like a spoiled child – wanting things done my way, wanting prayers to be answered my way and in my time. Lord, I pray that you help me have a heart like the woman. May my faith be firm, even when you’re not answering me the way I want to. May I be persistent in praying even when I don’t seem to get what I want. And may I always be humble to submit to your perfect will, not mine, especially when my will is different from yours. Amen
Blessed Day!
In Christ,
-g-
Ps
See related reflection:
Daily Readings
Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 332
Reading 1
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.
"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
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.
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
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you
and is able to save your souls.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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.
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.
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