GOSPEL
Jerusalem Bible © 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday & Company Inc.
Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.
(Matthew 15:21–28)
DID YOU KNOW?
Points of interest and Catholic lore
- The cities of Tyre and Sidon were the leading towns of ancient Phoenicia. Both cities were on the Mediterranean coast of what is now modern Lebanon. The Phoenicians were descendants of the even more ancient Canaanites, who populated the area earlier.
- Israel despised the Canaanites. It loathed the Canaanite religion with its pagan gods and fertility cults and found many of their practices abominable.
EXPLORING THE WORD
In this gospel, we find another example of the common device used by Matthew to denote the movement of Christianity from a Jewish to a Gentile setting. Jesus has left the Jewish region around the Sea of Galilee and travelled north-west to the Gentile territory of what was ancient Phoenicia in Syria.
Jesus’ fame has obviously spread even here, but the focus of the passage is not the cure but the dialogue. The woman knows full well that Jesus is Jewish as she hails him as ‘Son of David’. His silence in the face of her plea is explained in the next verse—a reference to the messianic mission of gathering all Israel into the kingdom. Jesus’ response sounds harsh, but the woman is quick to seize on his imagery and twist it to her advantage, but with humility. Through her, Jesus reveals a great truth—God’s salvation is available to all. He responds generously with both his praise and his healing power.
- Discuss some ‘moments of revelation’ or learning that participants may have had.
- How is inclusion understood and practised in the Church today?
MAKING CONNECTIONS
Opportunities for group discussion and personal prayer
- Have you ever felt unfairly treated and had to stick up for yourself?What are the things that cause your heart to be troubled?
- Share a story of a time when you felt alien and unwelcome.
- The Gospel is universal. It is for all people. Are there ways you can participate in spreading the Gospel, even in small ways, this week? The best way to do this is by living the Gospel. Try to include an outsider.
- This week, recite the psalm and refrain:
O God, let all the nations praise you! O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help. O God, let all nations praise you!
SHARING THE TRADITION
A closer look at the Scripture of the day, to see how it makes more explicit God’s word to us through the teachings of Jesus Christ
In the centuries after the Emperor Constantine accepted Christianity so that it eventually became the state religion, and after he moved his capital from Rome to Constantinople, different cultural expressions of the same faith emerged. In the western half of the empire, Rome initially dominated religious practices and was gradually replaced by the Celtic Church after the fall of Rome. In the eastern half of the Roman Empire, Constantinople dominated, and many eastern or Byzantine cultural expressions entered worship. Different ways of worshipping developed. This situation still exists today within the Church. The Roman Rite is familiar to us, and other rites of the Catholic Church include the Maronite, Melkite and Ukranian rites. These groups are completely loyal to the Pope and the magisterium (teaching authority) of the Catholic Church. Such rites are different from the Orthodox traditions, which do not recognise the Pope as leader of the Church and sometimes hold slightly different beliefs from the Catholic traditions. The Orthodox traditions broke away from the Catholic Church at various times in the early centuries, usually over issues of doctrinal formulation, in much the same way that the Protestant traditions broke away or formed independently.
Since the Second Vatican Council, enormous moves forward have been made in entering into dialogue with other Christian churches and other faiths. Ecumenism and interreligious dialogue are goals that are very close to the heart of modern popes.
- Invite your parish priest to share some information about his ecumenical contacts in the local area.
- You could invite participants to share their own religious backgrounds if they have come to the RCIA from other faith traditions.
SYMBOLS AND IMAGES
All the readings for this week speak of foreigners who have accepted faith in the one God. The gospel tells of a turning point in understanding: salvation is universal, for all who have faith. Christ’s response to the woman has perplexed people, especially since it seems quite out of character for him, but many of the Church Fathers interpreted this passage as Jesus intentionally trying to draw faith out of her. Perhaps there are also times when Jesus does not respond the way we would like because he is also trying to draw faith out of us—saving faith.
LIVING THE WORD
Practical ideas for group leaders to employ in connecting Scripture and daily life, with suggestions for music and environment
- Discuss how your local community enters into dialogue and joint prayer with the other Christian churches in your area.
- Are there other faiths, like Islam or Judaism, that worship in your area? How might your community initiate dialogue with them?
- A focus could be the sacred texts of different religions—the Koran, the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Scriptures. You could include blessings and prayers from different traditions. Pray for Christian unity and understanding between all people of goodwill who search for God’s truth. A suitable song could be ‘The voice of God’ (GA 476). Conclude with the prayer of exorcism in the RCIA at §94G.