Coffee With God

Reflection: Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus’ seeming indifference does not discourage this mother in the Gospel today. This woman’s inner strength comes from her maternal love and in her faith that Jesus can grant her request. Pope Francis says, this passage made him think of the strength of women. “With their strength they are able to obtain great things. We have known many such women! We could say that it is love that stirs faith. Heartrending love for her daughter causes the woman to cry and helps her not to become discouraged even in the face of the initial rejection; thus this mother kneels before Jesus, saying, “Lord, help me” (v. 25). Jesus points to this humble woman as a model of unwavering faith. Her persistence in beseeching Christ’s intervention is a model for us not to become discouraged, not to despair when we are burdened by life’s difficult trials. The Lord does not turn away in the face of our needs and, if at times he seems insensitive to our requests for help, it is in order to strengthen our faith. We must continue to cry out like this woman: “Lord, help me!” with perseverance and courage. She shows us the courage needed in prayer. Today the Church celebrates the memorial of St. John Vianney a French Parish Priest. He was ridiculed as not very useful by his contemporaries, but that did not stop him from being humble before God and spending long hours every day in the ministry of reconciling people with God. He is venerated in the Church today as the patron saint of parish priests. This Gospel episode helps us to understand that we all need to grow in faith and fortify our trust in Jesus. It is important to nourish our faith every day, by carefully listening to the Word of God, with the celebration of the Sacraments, with personal prayer as a “cry” to him — “Lord, help me!” — and with concrete acts of charity toward our neighbour. While addressing the youth during the Asian Youth Day in South Korea, Pope Francis said, “In your Christian lives, you will find many occasions to push away the stranger, the needy, the poor and the broken-hearted. It is these people who repeat the cry of the woman of the Gospel: “Lord, help me!”. The Canaanite woman’s plea is the cry of everyone who searches for love, acceptance, and friendship with Christ. It is the cry of so many anonymous people in our cities, the cry of so many of your own contemporaries, and the cry of all those martyrs who even today suffer persecution and death for the name of Jesus: “Lord, help me!” It is often a cry which rises from our own hearts as well: “Lord, help me!” Let us respond, like Christ, who responds to every plea for his help with love, mercy and compassion.