Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28
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.
How strong is our faith in Jesus?
Our
faith is often revealed through our patience, perseverance, and persistence.
There are moments when we pray for something deeply important to us, yet the
answer does not come when we expect it. At times, God may seem silent, and we
may wonder whether He hears the cries of our hearts. But perhaps those moments
are also invitations for us to trust Him more deeply.
This
is exemplified by the Canaanite woman who never gave up asking Jesus to heal
her daughter, who was tormented by a demon (Matthew 15:22–28). Despite what
seemed like rejection, she continued to plead with Jesus. She did not allow
discouragement to overcome her faith. Her persistence revealed the depth of her
trust, and Jesus recognized and praised her great faith.
What
if she had given up? What if she had allowed rejection and discouragement to
silence her prayer? She could have walked away, but she chose to remain at the
feet of Jesus. Her faith held on even when she could not yet see the answer she
desperately desired.
We,
too, have our own petitions before God. Perhaps some of us have been praying
for healing, restoration, peace, provision, reconciliation, or a breakthrough
for a long time. Perhaps we have repeatedly brought the same prayer before
Jesus, yet nothing seems to change. In those moments, let us remember the
Canaanite woman. Let us not allow delayed answers to become reasons for us to
abandon our faith.
Let
us continue to pray. Let us be patient. Let us persevere. Let us keep seeking
God's guidance and place our deepest desires in His hands. We may not always
receive the answer we expect, in the way we expect, or at the time we expect.
Yet we can trust that God hears us, loves us, and works according to His
perfect wisdom and loving will.
Faith
does not mean that we will never experience doubt, disappointment, or
discouragement. Faith means that even in those moments, we choose to remain at
the feet of Jesus. We continue to trust when we cannot understand. We continue
to pray when we cannot see the way forward. We continue to hope because we know
that our Lord has never abandoned us.
Let
us also do our part. Let us faithfully work for the things we hope to achieve
while entrusting the outcome to God. Let us not give up simply because the
journey is difficult or the answer seems delayed. Our waiting can become a
sacred time when God strengthens our hearts, deepens our faith, and teaches us
to surrender more completely to Him.
May
our prayers never become merely requests for what we want. May they also become
expressions of trust: “Lord, I may not understand Your ways, but I choose to trust You.
I may not see the answer yet, but I will continue to place my hope in You.”
Let us therefore persevere in prayer and remain faithful. For even when God seems silent, He is never absent. Even when we cannot see what He is doing, He is still at work. And even when the answer takes longer than we hoped, His love remains constant.
Are we willing to remain at the feet of Jesus even when our
prayers seem unanswered—and when the answer is delayed, will we choose to give
up, or will we hold on to Him with the same persistent faith of the Canaanite
woman?— Marino J.
Dasmarinas
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