A mother's prayer

Allow me to be in a priestly mode this time and write about today’s Sunday Gospel.

Today’s gospel was written by the Evangelist Matthew who wrote his gospel with non-Jewish audience in mind. This is in contrast to the others who wrote mainly for the Jewish people. He was also writing for the outcasts, the sinners, etc., as he writes about God’s universal love embracing all peoples – regardless of race, gender, religion, etc. (Remember also that Matthew was a Tax Collector, who was considered a sinner and outcast before Jesus called him to discipleship.)

Thus we can understand why there is mention of a small detail about the woman’s origin – she is from Canaan. Matthew wishes to emphasize that she is non-Jewish. And even Jesus repeats this fact in his initial response to the woman.

I can imagine that a priest preparing his homily for today, especially if he has very little time, will almost always choose to speak on the theme of God’s universal love. He then will exhort his mass goers to do as Jesus did and that is, to love everyone who comes to us, to love unconditionally and not selectively.

I have heard other priests who also would develop the tried and tested theme of prayer -- of persistent prayer as the Canaanite woman did. Or of her unwavering faith despite the initial rebuke from Jesus.

The priest in our subdivision chapel dished out to us a homily having all these points this morning as he rambled along for 15 or so minutes saying what seemed to be the same old rehashed homilies of the past. That is what it seemed to me, at least.

As I tried to listen, however, hoping to pick up something that may be new and nourishing for me, I noticed that he kept mentioning the Canaanite as a “woman” when the Gospel was clear that she was a “Mother” who came to Jesus to plead for her sick daughter.

And I begin to wonder how refreshing it would have been to point out that this is a story about a mother’s love and her prayer for her sick daughter, a story how a mother can go to great length for the love of her child.

Or how Jesus seems to have a soft heart for a mother’s prayer. Remember how he gave in ultimately to his own mother’s request at the Wedding in Cana even after having been “rebuked” also at first?

For me then, the Evangelist Matthew is also telling us about the character of Jesus in this story; his attitude towards women, especially towards a woman who is also a mother.

A mother’s prayer is powerful. Believe me, I have seen it countless times in the past.