Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
Fostering independence in my children can often be a daunting task. I can vividly remember how impatient I would become when my kids would insist on buckling themselves into their car seat… usually when I was running late! It was in these moments that I reminded myself that fostering independence was ultimately what I wanted for my children. Intervening too quickly to resolve their conflicts prevented them from learning. I may have been late to wherever I was heading, but witnessing the joy of their success after exhibiting a lot of persistence, reminded me how important this is as they continue to learn and grow. As adults, we also become better individuals when we learn and grow through difficult moments in our lives.
In today’s gospel, Jesus is visiting the district of Tyre. Although he tried to remain hidden from the crowds, he could not avoid one rather persistent woman. The unnamed woman was a gentile born in the lands near Syria and Phoenicia. She was experiencing great difficulty—her daughter was possessed by a demon. Turning to Jesus for help, he answered her dismissively. 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” (Mark 7: 27). Although the reason for Jesus’ initial response is unclear, perhaps we can assume he was experiencing a moment of frustration and impatience. However, the woman does not back down from her request. She replied, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps” (Mark 7: 28). In this moment, Jesus expanded the scope of his ministry, and his concern was no longer confined exclusively to the Jewish people. Jesus granted her request, and her daughter was healed. The woman provides a stark contrast to the scribes and Pharisees who challenged Jesus in the preceding story. They knew what the prophets said about the coming Messiah. They had heard about Jesus feeding the five thousand. Yet, they chose to find fault with Jesus and his disciples because they weren’t following purification laws. In other words, given every opportunity to see through the eyes of faith, they looked the other way. However, the Syrophoenician woman, an outsider, placed her complete trust in Jesus.
Jesus admired the woman's persistence in looking for healing for her daughter. In our own prayer life, do we demonstrate the same persistent trust in God? In difficult moments, we may feel unable to put our complete trust in the Lord. However, we can recall Jesus’ teaching in the gospel of Luke. Jesus told us that we are to be insistent, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (11:9). It is God’s desire that we persist in our petitions before Him. Today let us ask God to give us the courage to be like the Syrophoenician woman who was persistent in her desire, so that we, too, can deepen our relationship with Him.
-Jessica Gabrielli