Moses had warned the Israelites that after enjoying the fruits of Canaan, they might become haughty of heart and forget the Lord who brought them out of Egypt (Dt 8:11- 14). The people of the land would also entice them to worship the “strange gods”: Baal, Astarte, Milcom, Molech, thus provoking the Lord to anger against Israel. And so, in their long history, the Israelites and later the Jews kept themselves apart from pagans whom they derisively considered as “dogs”—considered unclean, savage, and fierce. In initially rebuffing the Syrophoenician woman, Jesus says that the children of Israel be fed first. The woman recognizes the priority of Israel and her nothingness, but surely there must be some children’s “scraps” for her. Her recognition of who she is further enhances her earlier recognition of who Jesus is, not just a teacher in Israel, but “Lord,” one who dispenses divine favor. Jesus had fed the 5,000 by multiplying bread (Mk 6:34-44). Now, the pagan woman, content to be fed with crumbs, receives from Jesus a divine favor: the healing of her daughter. In response to her persistent faith, Jesus breaks the barrier between Jews and Greeks; she and her daughter will no longer be treated as “unclean dogs,” but children of one Father in heaven. Gospel • Mk 7:24-30 Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 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.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2023,” St. Paul’s, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.