Lord, help me. – Matthew 15:21-28

In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals the daughter of the Canaanite woman because of her great faith. Even when Jesus seems very unreceptive to her plea, the faith of the Canaanite woman makes her bold enough to argue with Jesus and ask him again for what she needs. Her persistence and great confidence that Jesus could heal her sick daughter remind us all of the confidence that each of us should have in our daily prayers.

In our work, we meet women who are very persistent in their prayers for better lives for their children. Even though they often seem trapped in a cycle of extreme poverty, they have great faith that God will deliver a solution. They pray that sick children will get well, for food, water, and education.

Father Ned Murphy, a priest of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus, was a very eloquent and inspiring speaker on behalf of the poor. We remember hearing him one Sunday morning during a sermon:

“I know that many of you sitting here at Mass this morning pray very fervently for God to hear the cries of the poor. And God does hear them. But He also expects us to hear their cries too. And because we’re down here on Earth —  which is a lot closer than Heaven — He also expects us to do something about it.”

Isn’t that what following the example of Jesus is all about? Our faith calls us to put the needs of the most vulnerable first. By doing that, we can truly fulfill our vision of a world in which every human life is valued, and health and human dignity are shared by all.

Let’s pray — persistently and with confidence — that our ears and hearts will always be listening for, and be open to the cries of the poor. Firm in our faith, we can take action on their behalf.

Yours in grace,
CMMB/Healthier Lives Worldwide
*Today’s reflection is in loving memory of Father Edward “Ned” Murphy, S.J.  It was adapted from the Loyola Press Sunday Connection.

 

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