My dear spiritual director used to tell me, “God always answers your prayers; sometimes his response is ‘yes,’ sometimes ‘no,’ and sometimes ‘wait.’” What he did not tell me is that our prayers might be met by silence, coldness, and even harshness as the Gospel tells us today.
It is rather difficult to explain Jesus’ attitude towards the poor Canaanite woman. She came to him asking for help for her little daughter who was tormented by a demon. She, a pagan woman, out of desperation, had abandoned everything to come to Jesus, a Jew, to beg for help. Yet, despite her plea, Jesus was distant and cold. The more she asked, the colder he seemed to become, even to the point of uttering such harsh words, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”
Jesus Christ, the Son of God – the merciful and compassionate One – and yet, he treated a woman in need with such disdain.Such a shocking action! A hard one for us to swallow!
Ought he to have a good reason behind it?
As curious and shocking as Jesus’ antagonistic action was, it did serve well in highlighting the faith, the humility, and the perseverance of the Canaanite woman. He ignored her, she kept sticking to him as if to say, “You ain’t getting rid of me.” He said he was only sent to “the lost sheep of Israel,” she kept insisting and calling, “Lord, help me.” He compared her to dogs; she would still humbly insist, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Such an incredible faith she had! So profound was her humility!
St. Augustine once said, “Faith is to believe in what you do not see, and the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” The woman though did not seem to see Christ’s compassion, she believed in it. As the result, she received her reward of seeing that compassion healed her troubled child – “Woman, great is your faith, let it done for you as you wish.”
Today’s Gospel also reminds me of the story of Jacob wrestling with God from the Old Testament. All night until dawn he wrestled with God. As tired as he was and as painful as the blow to his hip felt, Jacob would not let go of God until He agreed to bless him. Jacob then was given a new name, Israel, which means “struggled with God” (Cf. Genesis 32:25-29).
In our journey of faith, at times it seems like our pleas to God are countered with coldness and distance. God’s silence seems to suffocate us and makes us feel like he does not care. In some instances, like the Canaanite woman, God seems to reject us and push us away.
However, like this faith-filled woman, and like Jacob of the story of old, we must not let go of God. Our perseverance and our humility will not be passed by unnoticed because, “Not for vengeance did the Lord put them in the crucible to try their hearts, nor has he done so with us. It is by way of admonition that he chastises those who are close to him” (Judith 8:27).
In being tested and challenged, as gold tried by fire, our faith and our perseverance will reach maturity and growth. And, those who put their trust in the Lord “shall never be put to shame”
Once upon a time two grandparents were in a little shop, looking for something to give their granddaughter on her birthday. Suddenly, the grandmother saw a precious teacup. “Look at this lovely teacup, Harry. Just the thing!” Granddad picked it up, looked at it, and said, “you are right. It’s one of the nicest teacups I’ve ever seen. We must get it.” At this point the teacup startled the grandparents by saying, “Well, thank you for the compliment, but, you know, I wasn’t always so beautiful.”
The grandparents, still surprised, said, “What do you mean you weren’t always so beautiful?” “It’s true,” said the teacup. “Once I was just an ugly, soggy lump of clay. But one day a man with dirty and wet hands threw me on a wheel and started turning me around and around till I got so dizzy that I cried, ‘Stop! Stop!’ But the man with the wet hands said, ‘not yet.’ Then he started to poke me and punch me until I hurt all over. ‘Stop! Stop!’ I cried, but he said, ‘not yet.’ Finally he did stop, but then he did something worse. He put me in a furnace, and I got hotter and hotter until I couldn’t stand it any longer, and I cried, ‘stop! Stop!’ But the man said, ‘not yet.’
“Finally, when I thought I was going to be burned up, the man took me out of the furnace. Then, some short lady began to paint me, and the fumes were so bad that they made me sick to my stomach. I cried, ‘Stop! Stop!’ But the lady said, ‘Not yet.” Finally she did stop and gave me back to the man again, and he put me back in that awful furnace. I cried out, ‘Stop! Stop!’ but he only said, ‘not yet.’ Finally he took me out and let me cool. And when I was cool, a very pretty lady put me on a shelf, right next to the mirror. When I looked into the mirror, I was amazed! I could not believe what I saw. I was no longer ugly, soggy, and dirty. I was beautiful and firm and clean. And I cried for joy!”
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go” (William Feather). Hence, in the same manner of speaking, achieving the maturity of faith seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
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