Wednesday August 5, 2009

Wednesday August 5, 2009 of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time
The feast of St. John Vianney
Readings: Numbers 13: 1-2, 25; 14: 1, 26a-29a, 34-35 Psalm 106: 6-7ab, 13-14, 21-23
Gospel Matthew 15: 21-28
Psalm Response: “Remember us, O Lord, as You favor Your people”

God instructed Moses the land in front of them was filled with milk and honey and He was giving it to them. They were to send in a posse of men, one for each tribe, to look over their prospects.
When they had scanned the layout and the people of the area, they returned and reported to Moses and the people. Most of them scorned the possibility of overtaking the land of Canaanites. They were not only numerous, some of them were giants by comparison. Only Caleb had positive remarks about the Israelites ability to overcome the Canaanites.
God was perturbed about their reticence and lack of Faith. He sentenced them to wander in the desert for forty years, one year for each day they hesitated to remove the Canaanites from the land He had given them.
Every day, God grants us the ability to breathe, walk, eat and pray to Him for His providence. Why do we deny His ability to do what He says?
Our lack of faith may not give us forty years of distress but when we deny Him by our lack of faith, we expose ourselves to eternal grief and possible punishment if we do not turn ourselves around and obey!

The Psalm and response retell the history of the Hebrew people. We are aware of their trials and tribulations because they didn’t always do His will. Don’t imitate them. He loves us and we should return the love without complaining or conditions.

Jesus’ answer to the Canaanite woman, “It’s not right to take the food from the Jews and toss it to dogs” was an idiom of the time. “Dogs” were anyone who wasn’t Jewish. Jews were not to associate with the goyim, let alone have pity on them and their problems. His message was to be taught to Israel and not to the world.
However, in His Divine nature, Jesus recognized the Faith she had which exceeded the Jews and He granted her wish for her daughter.
We often deny Him when one of His little ones begs for faith and we deny them by our exhibition of a lack thereof. Get with the program! God recognizes our attempts to do His will if we try and do it.