20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 15:21-28

 

I was fortunate to be born into a loving family that included many loving aunts and uncles.  Among my aunts was Aunt Mimi who was married to my father's brother, my Uncle Louie.  (I think every Italian-American kid in my generation had an Uncle Louie.)  Aunt Mimi was the most gentle and loving person I ever met in my life, and that is not an overstatement. Throughout my entire life I never heard Aunt Mimi ever raise her voice, or speak out in anger, or reject a person in need.  The love, compassion and empathy that Aunt Mimi and Uncle Louie had in their hearts extended far beyond family and friends. They particularly extended themselves to those who suffered, were victims of injustice, who were marginalized

Imagine my horror, therefore, when I was seven years old and preparing for First Holy Communion (pre-Vatican II) when I was told in school that my Aunt Mimi could never enter heaven!  Why?  Because she was a Jew.

What?  The person who most embodied to me the true gospel values that I was being taught?  She couldn't get to heaven?  How can that be?  I literally cried.

When I read about this Canaanite woman being rejected when begging for help for her afflicted daughter I cannot help but to think of Aunt Mimi.  Ironically, this anonymous woman is rejected because she is NOT a Jew.  Even Jesus tells her that he was not sent to help her kind.  She loves her daughter who is suffering and she is told "no"?  How can that be?

How often in this life do we reject others - despite their great need - because they are simply the "other."?  How many mothers throughout the world, in this day and age, who also beg for help for their children hear "You're not one of us."

This Canaanite woman knew that Jesus was the ONLY one who could save her daughter, and she did everything - including giving up her own dignity and calling herself a "dog" so that her daughter could be saved.  Another irony:  last week we heard Jesus tell Peter - the leader of the disciples - that he had little faith.  Here, this anonymous woman who is not even Jewish is told she has great faith.

A person's so-called "worthiness" does not matter to God.  Faith and trust is what matters.

This Canaanite woman's willingness to debase herself out of love for her daughter foreshadowed Jesus' sacrifice when he was tried, convicted and punished as a criminal, physically tortured, stripped of his dignity and defiled all because of his love for us.  He suffered the greatest of indignities so that we could be rid of OUR demons, our sins and be saved.

Are we not called to do the same?  Are we not called to reach out to those that are called "unworthy" in this world and bring God's healing to them in any way we can?

I am grateful that I had Aunt Mimi in my life.  I am even more grateful to have Jesus in my life.  I can only pray that my faith could also become "great" in my times of greatest need.  Yet, I need to pray even more that I recognize the great faith in others in need and respond according to His will.

 

"Call me Ishmael"