THROUGH UNTRUE

Today's gospel reading recounts the story of the Canaanite woman who fervently implored Jesus to heal her ailing daughter. This woman was not a Jew, how could she have exhibited such a profound belief in Jesus?    

Hers was a case of faith being borne out of love. Her unwavering faith in Jesus emerged from her deep affection for her daughter. Her love for her afflicted child compelled her to have faith in Jesus's power to heal. In a sense, the Canaanite woman was the first to experience healing. To paraphrase the prophet Isaiah: "By the daughter's wounds, the mother was healed" (Isaiah 53:5-6).

Furthermore, this narrative highlights the power of intercession. According to St. Ambrose, when we intercede (Latin: "inter-cedere"), we put ourselves in the shoes of another who is in trouble. We take his place to alleviate his pain. This explains why there is a part in the Mass for intercessory prayers.

The Canaanite woman interceded on behalf of her daughter. When she saw Jesus, she cried out to Him in desperation: "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is tormented by a demon and is in great distress" (Matthew 15:22). She persisted even when the disciples showed their contempt at her. She knelt before Jesus, humbly beseeching Him: "Lord, help me!" (Matthew 15:25). 

For a while, Jesus ignored her, even comparing her to "a dog." But she firmly stood by her conviction that Jesus would heal her daughter. Her attitude reflects that the symbiotic relationship between faith and love is fortified by humility. 

True humility entails accepting ourselves for who we are, embracing our vulnerabilities and acknowledging that we are not self-sufficient. Recognizing that we all share this common human frailty fosters empathy and compassion, prompting us to intercede on behalf of those we hold dear.

The story culminated with Jesus commending the Canaanite woman's faith. He declared: "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted" (Matthew 15:28). It is noteworthy that Jesus lauded her faith, not merely her persistent prayer. 

This serves as a poignant reminder to those of us who sometimes invest more faith in our prayers than in God. We think it is our prayer that moves mountains, heals the sick, converts sinners, wins lotteries, assures victories, retrieves the lost, and raises the dead. 

Our Lord wants us to pray unceasingly, but He did not ask us to place our trust and confidence in our prayers. We must have faith only in Him — in his faithfulness to His promises, His wisdom, power, and goodness.

What happens when we put our faith in our prayer, and not in God? Rather than focus on God, we begin to concentrate on the quality, intensity, and frequency of our prayer. Instead of opening up to God in total receptivity, we turn inwards, feeling guilty and inadequate every time our prayer is not answered the way we want God to. We start to think that, maybe, we are not praying well or not praying enough, that is why God does not listen.
The life of Jesus was one unceasing prayer of intercession. It is a life lived in faith in God the Father.  That is why he was able to work wonders.  Miracle is the daughter of faith. As Jesus said: "If you have faith as little as a mustard seed, you can move mountains" (Matthew 17:20). May we learn to put our faith, not in our prayers, but only in God who knows what we need before we even ask for it.