Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Fr. Taras Gorpynyak on the Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 14, 2024
Let the faith of the Canaanite woman be an example for all of us of sincere and persistent prayer to Almighty God. And when we turn to the Lord in such strong faith and prayer, Jesus Christ will listen to us and fill our hearts with His immense mercy.
Every time we read the Holy Scriptures, we witness the great miracles that our Saviour Jesus Christ performed to strengthen our faith in Almighty God. The merciful Saviour saw human suffering and felt compassion for every person who asked for help with faith in his or her heart.
Sometimes Jesus Christ tested a person’s faith in front of His disciples and other people. We learn about such a test in today’s Gospel reading. Christ the Saviour did not seem to hear the request of the suffering mother who was following him and cried out loudly, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
A mother’s love for her child is boundless. The patience and suffering of the daughter was a great pain that was passed on to the mother. We can imagine a mother’s pain because we have children of our own.
The apostles who were present sympathised with the poor mother and asked Jesus to help her. By their example, the Holy Apostles show us that we should pray for those in need. The apostles had great love for their neighbours, and that is why the Lord chose them to be His disciples.
But look how strong the faith in this mother’s request is! Christ did not seem to hear her, but she continued to ask, endured, and carried her cross further. The Canaanite woman’s faith was so unshakable that Christ said the following words to her: “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was healed at that moment.”
May the faith of the Canaanite woman be an example for us all. May her persistent request be an example for us all of sincere and persistent prayer to Almighty God. And when we turn to the Lord in such strong faith and prayer, Jesus Christ will listen to us and fill our hearts with His immense mercy.
