God's Welcoming Embrace

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Aug. 14, 2011 (Mt 15:21-28)

Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not say a word in answer to her.

His disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us."

He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me."

He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs."

She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters."

Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour.

God's love is universal. This is a fact that was revealed little by little throughout salvation history. In the Old Testament, it is clear that the Israelites were the chosen people - the children of God. Nevertheless, reading forward until the New Testament, we come to realize that Israel was indeed God's firstborn, but the entire human race enjoys the Fatherhood of God.

Even in the days of the Israelites' journey towards the promised land, God has welcomed into His people some foreigners who have demonstrated faith in Him. He welcomed Rahab, the inhabitant of Jericho who helped the Israelite spies escape. God let Ruth, a woman who showed compassion and loyalty towards her mother-in-law Naomi, become part of Jesus' family tree. God has also shown favor upon a foreigner who came to His prophet for healing - Naaman the leper. All these stories tell us that God's goodness extends to all mankind.

In today's Gospel, though emphasizing that He was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, Jesus acknowledges the great faith of a Canaanite woman who came to Him for her daughter's healing. At first, it seemed that Jesus was being rather rude and exclusive in His words. But here He was probably just giving the woman an opportunity to demonstrate her faith in Him.

What made this woman's faith remarkable? First, she came humbly asking Jesus for help. Her faith transcended the boundaries of culture and even of religious belief itself. Second, she addressed Jesus as the Lord, the Son of David. Even the Pharisees who were Jesus' fellow Jews did not address Him with this kind of reverence! And isn't it written that no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:3)? It is probably safe to assume, then, that this woman was filled by the Holy Spirit! Probably, this woman was moved by the Spirit of God, not only for her to find healing for her daughter, but to proclaim the message that God's love is universal and that faith is God's gift to all men. In the end, because the woman demonstrated her great faith, her daughter was healed.

Indeed, faith is a gift that we have received from God. Our faith is not a product of our own efforts, but a gift from God that we must nurture. And the nourishment of our faith, and even our healing, as we find in the Gospel today, can only be found if we come to Jesus. We grow in faith every time we come to Jesus in prayer, every time we reflect on His Words and most especially every time we receive Him in the Holy Eucharist. Faith is a gift that must be treasured and taken care of.

As we realize the necessity of cultivating our faith, we also come to acknowledge the fact that we are not the only ones who received this faith from God. Every man, even the most hardened sinner and even the most atheistic, received the gift of faith. Once we realize this, we see it as our responsibility to cultivate our faith together, as a community, as a Church where all men are welcome and where no one should be left behind. The Gospel today rejects the notion that "outside the Church, there is no salvation".

As believers building the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, we see it as God's mercy at work when He welcomes new people to His Church. We must, therefore, also have a welcoming heart like our Father. We must have arms big enough to embrace the world as our brethren in Christ. We should look at non-believers and sinners as brothers who are as of yet lost, but are still loved by our Father.

Sharing God's Gift of Himself

4th Sunday of Advent Dec. 20, 2009 (Lk 1:39-45)

During those days, Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

I have often wondered why the Angel Gabriel punished Zechariah for disbelief when Zechariah only asked him the same question Mary asked in the Annunciation, "How could this be?". Why was Mary not punished for disbelief? Probably, Zechariah's question had a hint of doubt while Mary was merely wondering about the message of the angel. After all, only God can discern the hearts of men.

"Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled," says Elizabeth in our Gospel today. Mary believed the message from God, even if it seemed impossible. Even if she would be in danger, as becoming pregnant before marriage would mean death through stoning, she trusted in God, knowing that God takes good care of His obedient children. Indeed, Mary was blessed because she believed. Yes, blessed are those who believe in God's promises. And blessed are we for we believe that Jesus will come.

Like Mary and Elizabeth, our faith enables us to realize that God's plan is unfolding. Our faith assures us that God came into this world as man to save us. This faith further tells us that this God who dwelt among us is, indeed, still with us, as He promised us, "Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). Like Mary, our faith should give us the courage even when many dangers beset us; we should be courageous because God is with us.

Christmas is, of course, not only about faith. Christmas challenges us to make our faith incarnate, to make it concrete, visible through our actions. Like Mary, who believed the news of the angel and who immediately went to her cousin Elizabeth to share the news to her and to assist her in her pregnancy, we too are challenged to share the news that God is among His people, that God is working in our lives, that God was born on earth and is still here with us. For all we know, the people around us might not have had Jesus born in their hearts yet. God's gift to all of us is His own self. And, as people who have received God's gift of Himself, we ought to share Him to all who haven't received Him yet.

This Christmas, there is a greater need of taking on the challenge of sharing God's gift of Himself. As many were left without possession, without home and without family after the onslaught of typhoons in our country and after the horrors left by a massacre, many might not be able to hold on to their faith. Many might not be able to feel God's presence, much less realize that Jesus will be born in their hearts. We must make then remember that, in the first Christmas, Mary and Joseph also had nowhere to stay, nobody but each other and God to help them in their situation. Nevertheless, they had faith in God. And the joy they felt that night was not because of the luxuries of home and of the company of friends; their joy was from the child who lay in the manger, the little baby who is the incarnation of God's immense love for men. This Divine infant is the cause of our joy for this season. This is the good news we need to proclaim: God is still with us. We need only to have faith and to share the faith.

Despite the many reasons for us to grieve, the immensity of God's love made flesh gives us joy. God's love is enough to dispel all fear and all loneliness. We need only to believe, like Mary who believed. And as we rejoice because of what God has done for us, we must pass the joy because God's gift of Himself is for all of us.