The Eternal Son of God, in His infinite love, became man to suffer and die for us, so the hope of salvation could be extended to all! Through the Redemption the Church was born and Heaven was opened. In the Our Father Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray that the Divine Will be done on earth as in Heaven. Through the writings of Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta we know that this Kingdom is Coming now for all who open themselves to this gift of the Divine Will.
The first reading teaches that the temple of the Lord (the Church) will be a house of prayer for people of every race and nation.
The second reading talks about the how God respects free-will and tolerates disobedience, in order to show Mercy to all who turn to Him.
PERSEVERANCE
The Gospel today tells how Jesus healed the daughter of the Canaanite woman. The Canaanites were pagan and were descendants of Ham, one of the sons of Noah. After the Israelites entered the Promised Land, some Canaanites were driven out, but not all, because they continued to live in Tyre and Sidon, which is part of modern-day Lebanon. The woman in the Gospel approaches Jesus with faith, humility and persistence! She had heard about him and doesn’t doubt that He has the power to cure her daughter who is tormented by a devil. She eventually comes up and throws herself at his feet. He seems at first reluctant to answer her prayer because He desires that she grow stronger in faith and perseverance.
He then praises her faith:
Woman great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.
At that moment her daughter is freed from the power of the devil. Prayer can move the Heart of God and the Lord infallibly hears our every prayer. But often we don’t pray with faith, humility and perseverance. Often, we also focus more on our current crisis or need, rather than on God. Many people give up too quickly and don’t persevere if God seems slow to answer.
Perseverance is essential for us as Christians, because we are fighting a battle on earth. This is against the world, the flesh and the devil. We can learn from many people who simply refused to give up.
One that comes to mind is Sir Winston Churchill who was a British Statesman and was Prime Minister of England during the Second World War. At school it took Winston Churchill three years to get through eighth grade, because he couldn’t pass English of all things. Ironically, he was asked many years later to give the commencement address at Oxford University. His now famous speech consisted of only three words:
Never give up!
God permits many different difficulties in our lives with the one sole purpose to lead us to Christian wisdom and maturity! Without a battle we would never gain the victory. As part of the Church Militant on earth we all share in the Cross of Christ and will have to cope with some form of adversity throughout our lives. However, God gives us grace and very clear guidance on how to live our lives. This guidance is provided through the Ten Commandments, the Bible, the Holy Spirit and Authentic Magisterium of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a great gift to us! It gives very clear direction, for example, on the Moral Life.
It teaches about human dignity and how abortion is always wrong because it directly kills an innocent human life. It also teaches that artificial contraception is wrong and that it poisons the relationship between a husband and wife because it separates the unitive and procreative meanings (the unifying and life-giving meanings), which God has built into the marriage act. The Church teaches that the meaning of life is not to be found in pleasure, possessions, or popularity and that each of us has the responsibility to invest our time, treasure, and talents for the good, not only of ourselves, but of our neighbours too.
The Heart of God yearns for us to experience life as He meant it to be lived. This is why He points out dead-end roads of self-indulgence that only lead to disillusionment, frustration and unhappiness.
We can learn from the example of the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel, who brought her needs to the feet of Christ. When He comes to us in Holy Communion, lets receive Him with humility and all the faith and love we can muster. The Heart of God can be moved, so let’s make quality time for prayer a priority. Devotions like the family Rosary should never be omitted nor should other prayer such as Grace at meal time and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, where duties permit.
The Church has also provided us with Adoration Chapels where we can go heart to Heart with Jesus. We will only fully realize the graces we have received from Adoration when we arrive in Heaven. Finally, let desire that the Divine Will reign in us so that we can do God’s Will on earth even now, as it is done in Heaven!
Praise be Jesus now and forever!