MARY, OUR MOTHER

SCRIPTURE COMMENTARY # 303

And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out, said to him: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David: my daughter is grievously troubled by a devil." Who answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: "Send her away, for she crieth after us:" And he answering, said: "I was not sent but to the sheep, that are lost of the house of Israel." But she came and adored him, saying: "Lord, help me." Who answering, said: "It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs." But she said: "Yea, Lord; for the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters." Then Jesus answering, said to her: "O woman, great is thy faith: be it done to thee as thou wilt": and her daughter was cured from that hour. (Matt. 15:22-28)

FAITH AND HUMILITY of the woman of Chanaan. PERSEVERANCE IN PRAYER: This woman did not give way to discouragement, although for a time Jesus would not hearken to her. His sole response to the intercession of His apostles was to say that He was sent only to the Israelites, and His reply to herself sounded very like an absolute refusal. This shows us that we ought never to weary of prayer, even though it seems as if God would not hearken to us.

[From 'A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture' by Bishop Knecht, D.D.]
(1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)