Reading I: Is. 56: 1, 6-7
Psalm: 67
Reading II: Rom. 11:33-36
Gospel: Matthew 16:13-20
In this Sunday’s readings, The main theme is the universality of God’s love and mercy. While Jesus’ original mission was to the Lost Tribes of Israel, it soon expanded to include the Gentiles (non Jews). This is well illustrated in today’s Gospel.
The heart of Jesus goes out to the Canaanite woman who had traveled from afar to seek healing for her daughter. Although Jesus explains to her that His mission is to the Jewish people, she senses the love and mercy in His heart. The woman then persists in her pleading on behalf of her daughter. The strong faith she exhibited, drew from Jesus the touching comment: “O Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
This is not the only example of Jesus’ openness to all people.
He cures the centurion’s servant, and he offers “living water” to a Samaritan woman. He even paints a Samaritan as a hero in his parable about the man attacked by robbers. When others walked by the severely injured man, a Samaritan stopped, bound up his wounds, took him to an inn and paid for his care.
In this way, Jesus shows us that while it is important to care for our families, friends, and relatives, it is also important to reach out to others in an inclusive way. How is the Lord calling us to respond to the needs of others? It may be by simply being open to those who differ from us in some way: religion, race, nationality, philosophy, sexual preferences, temperament, or personality. To view us all as beloved children of God makes us accepting of all even when we disagree
with them.
On the other hand, the Lord may be calling us to help someone different from ourselves, according to our specific resources,
gifts and talents. Pope Francis has encouraged Christians to follow the example of St. Katharine Drexel who reached out with her assistance to those who were of a different social status than she was. Taking the example of her wealthy parents, she assisted the poor with their material needs, education, and spirituality. She built many schools and churches for the needy.
In particular St. Katharine reached out to two oppressed groups of her time: African-Americans and Native Americans. The African Americans had just been released from slavery, but were not well educated. They had a difficult time finding employment and sometimes even went back to work for their former masters.
Having seen the Reservations on which Native Americans were placed after their lands were taken from them, St. Katharine built schools and churches to improve their lives. She reached out to all people, no matter what their faith, or lack of faith.
Also, St. Katharine founded a Religious Community, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, to assist her in all her ministries. Today, in addition to the Sisters, there is a lay branch of the Community called the Associates of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. These men and women, comprised of married and single individuals, also continue to carry on the ministries.
Reflection: Is there someone or a group whom you could help with your unique resources, gifts, or talents? Let us open our eyes and hearts and listen for the whisper of the Lord who embraced all.
Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...
Grande es tu fe
En las lecturas de este domingo, el tema principal es la universalidad del amor y la misericordia de Dios. Mientras que la misión original de Jesús fue a las tribus perdidas de Israel, pronto se expandió para incluir a Los Gentiles (no judíos). Esto está bien ilustrado en el Evangelio de hoy.
El corazón de Jesús sale a la mujer cananea que había viajado desde lejos para buscar sanidad para su hija. Aunque Jesús le explica que Su misión es para el pueblo judío, ella siente el amor y la misericordia en Su corazón. La mujer entonces persiste en su súplica en nombre de su hija. La fe fuerte que ella exhibió, sacó de Jesús el conmovedor comentario: “¡Mujer, grande es tu fe! Que se haga por ti como quieras”.
Este no es el único ejemplo de la apertura de Jesús a todas las personas. Cura al siervo del centurión, y ofrece “agua viva” a una mujer samaritana. Incluso pinta a un samaritano como un héroe en su parábola sobre el hombre atacado por ladrones. Cuando otros caminaban por el hombre gravemente herido, un samaritano se detuvo, ató sus heridas, lo llevó a una posada y pagó por su cuidado.
De esta manera, Jesús nos muestra que si bien es importante cuidar a nuestras familias, amigos y parientes, también es importante llegar a los demás de una manera inclusiva. ¿Cómo nos llama el Señor a responder a las necesidades de los demás? Puede ser simplemente abriéndose a aquellos que difieren de nosotros de alguna manera: religión, raza, nacionalidad, filosofía, preferencias sexuales, temperamento o personalidad. Vernos a todos como hijos amados de Dios nos hace aceptar de todos, incluso cuando no estamos de acuerdo con ellos.
Por otra parte, el Señor puede estar llamándonos a ayudar a alguien diferente de nosotros mismos, de acuerdo con nuestros recursos específicos, Regalos y talentos. El Papa Francisco ha alentado a los cristianos a seguir el ejemplo de Santa Katharine Drexel, que se acercó con su ayuda a los que eran de un estatus social diferente que ella. Tomando el ejemplo de sus ricos padres, ayudó a los pobres con sus necesidades materiales, educación y espiritualidad. Ella construyó muchas escuelas e iglesias para los necesitados.
En particular, St. Katharine llegó a dos grupos oprimidos de su tiempo: los afroamericanos y los nativos americanos. Los afroamericanos acababan de ser liberados de la esclavitud, pero no estaban bien educados. Tuvieron dificultades para encontrar trabajo ya veces incluso volvieron a trabajar para sus antiguos maestros.
Habiendo visto las Reservas sobre las cuales los Nativos Americanos fueron colocados después de que sus tierras les fueron quitados, St. Katharine construyó escuelas e iglesias para mejorar sus vidas. Ella extendió la mano a toda la gente, sin importar su fe, o su falta de fe.
Además, St. Katharine fundó una comunidad religiosa, las Hermanas del Santísimo Sacramento, para ayudarla en todos sus ministerios. Hoy, además de las Hermanas, hay una rama laica de la Comunidad llamada Asociados de las Hermanas del Santísimo Sacramento. Estos hombres y mujeres, compuestos de individuos casados y solteros, también continúan llevando a cabo los ministerios.
Reflexión: ¿Hay alguien o un grupo al que podría ayudar con sus recursos únicos, regalos o talentos? Abramos nuestros ojos y corazones y escuchemos el susurro del Señor que abrazó a todos.
I like that you compiled similarly themed gospel stories to remind us of Jesus’ inclusive love and that you included a question for us to contemplate throughout the week. I came across a reflection that puts an interesting spin on Jesus’ decision to heal the child of the woman in today’s reading. Sr. Pat Kozak, CSJ, suggests that the Canaanite woman’s persistence and insistence on being heard may have “pushed Jesus to think in new ways about the extent of his ministry. Is he sent to some people or all people? To Jews alone-or the entire family of humanity? The fierceness of a mother’s love provokes Jesus to rethink his own sense of identity – and embrace a larger, fuller call that encompasses the woman and her child-and ultimately each one of us.”
ReplyDeleteSr. Kozak’s comment that Jesus was pushed to “think in new ways about the extent of his ministry,” brought to mind how the ministry of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament continues to change and evolve. Sr. Annette, when I first met you at Saint Katharine Drexel Motherhouse you had recently arrived from an Indian reservation after many years of service to the Native American Indians. You were facilitating a Lenten Scripture Series which you were ‘testing’ for six weeks. Here it is five years later and the Scripture Sharing group is still going strong. In addition to your weekly Scripture gathering, your blog reaches readers well beyond our local Philadelphia area, and you are involved with spiritual activities in your new living community at Paul’s Run where people of many faiths live side by side. I bet you never envisioned such interesting circumstances.
A yearly tradition of the Associates of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (ASBS) had been to host a luncheon for the sisters at the Motherhouse on the first Sunday of August. This year, in lieu of the luncheon, the ASBS spent Sunday afternoon visiting with the sisters. My fellow Associate, Michele, and I were asked to visit the sisters residing in the assisted living area. We found the sisters sitting in the Community Room chatting and engaging with fellow residents. There was a warm friendly energy in the room that Michele and I both felt. After visiting with the sisters, I stopped by to see two of the women who were meal buddies with my mother when she was a patient in Paul’s Run rehabilitation (both have since moved into assisted living apartments at the facility). One of the ladies told me that a Sister of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS) is a table partner of hers and that Sister talks about St. Katharine Drexel and tells stories of her years of ministry as they share meals together. The other lady related that she had gone to Mass that morning. Mass is now held in the auditorium because the chapel is too small to accommodate all the residents who now attend Mass. These are but a few observations of how the ministry of the SBS has progressed to impact individuals the SBS would not have encountered had the sisters not left the Motherhouse. The sisters have multiple opportunities to share their unique gifts and the Good News of the Lord with a lot of people from various walks of life. Talk about one-stop ministering!
I conclude with a reflective statement of Sr. Kozak : “The invitation to reconsider and reimagine extends to us. When are we thinking too small, holding on to boundaries, beliefs, and preconceptions that exclude and separate? The fierceness of love invites, even insists, that we abandon any smallness of vision and embrace the new-the new idea or understanding, and most especially, the new person.”