The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Roberto Ibay SVD – Divine Word College of Urdaneta, Pangasinan
Wednesday 18th Week in Ordinary Time
Jesus in the Gospel today showed his inclusive way of relating with us by healing the daughter of the Canaanite woman. We cannot contain God’s graces and blessings and deprive others from experiencing these.
Jesus’ intervention works beyond our own community and belief. God’s gifts are given to us all, not only because of our qualifications, cultures, races, affiliations and religion but because of His unlimited generosity.
From the lens of the Gospel today, God’s gifts are handed to us through our sincere dialogue with Him as exemplified by the Canaanite woman. Sincere dialogue from the viewpoint of Jesus consists of understanding and listening to the situation and needs of others. It is seeing the condition of the other from which we discern and make a decision.
Sincere dialogue from the perspective of the Canaanite woman is to have the humility and the courage to accept God’s response to our request and petition. It is not dictating and forcing God to answer our pleading but is surrendering to Him and learning how to wait patiently in His own time.
Indeed, with Jesus, the Canaanite woman’s yearning – the healing of her daughter – was answered. Likewise, with Jesus in our life we achieve our aspirations as an individual and as a community.
With Jesus, we become more inclusive in the way we relate with one another, accepting and being enriched by the differences of people we encounter.
