WEDNESDAY HOMILY FOR 18TH WEEK ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A
WEDNESDAY HOMILY FOR 18TH WEEK ORDINARY TIME — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: “O WOMAN, GREAT IS YOUR FAITH! LET IT BE DONE FOR YOU AS YOU WISH.”
BY: Bishop Anthony Ewherido
Jeremiah 31:1-7, Jeremiah 31:10-12,13, Matthew 15:21-28
The exemplary faith of the Canaanite woman in today’s gospel is the envy of everyone, including Jesus himself. She prayed her way through, having realized that Jesus, Lord and Messiah, was the solution to her problem. Those, who received the promise of the Messiah made by God to David, did not realize or recognize the presence of the Messiah. This Canaanite woman did not only realize it, but also recognized that presence and made her move, fearlessly, decisively, unfazed, persuasively, undeterred but humbly, on the basis of her realization.
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We need all of these qualities in prayer, especially, faith, trust and humility. We must realize that Jesus’ derogatory comment simulated the common attitude of the time, here evoked to test the woman’s faith and tenacity, and to shame such disdainful cultures, stereotypes and attitudes. She passed the test and got what she requested. The woman experienced the fruits of God’s promise of restoration to Israel that Jeremiah reaffirmed in the first reading. For, as the Lord said: “I have loved you with an everlasting love, and so I am constant in my affection for you.” The woman was able to tap into this divine love of God for us, by overcoming the many obstacles in her way, and by simply focusing on her one mission of having her daughter regain her health. Jeremiah’s message of restoration invites us to go back to God, even in these troubled times worldwide. A return to God would guarantee the kind of restoration promised to Jeremiah and the people of his time. I humbly pray that the blessings of that promised restoration would be the portion of all who put their trust and hope in the Lord. For, indeed, then God’s children will see the fruit of their labor and enjoy God’s favor.
Lord, guard us as a shepherd guards his flock. Amen.
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