Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Jesus speaking with the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel is widely considered one of the most uncomfortable and confusing interactions that Jesus has with anyone in all of the Gospels. So many interactions with Jesus point to Our Lord’s compassion and mercy. Jesus is often seen as the one who reaches out to those who are sick and in need. But today, we hear a very different tone from Our Lord.

Initially, Jesus refuses the request of this woman in trouble, even as she cries out, “Lord, help me.” The woman says “Eleison me kyrie.” This is translated as “Have pity on me, Lord,” but it also means, “Have mercy on me, Lord.” Now leave out the middle word, change the order, and there you have it: Kyrie Eleison—Lord, have mercy. She is crying out for help, yet Jesus seems to push this woman away. What is going on here?

Jesus rejects her request initially. This is not an isolated event, as there have been times when Our Lord reveals His message with parables. Other times, Jesus asks questions that He does not answer and allows the person He is speaking with to put the pieces together. Other times, Jesus even allows the people He is speaking with to leave Him when they do not understand Him. Remember when Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The people responded by saying, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” As a result, Sacred Scripture tells us that many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him. This doesn’t feel merciful, does it?

Jesus is the Word made flesh who dwelt among us. He is what God the Father wishes us to meet and experience. Jesus’ goal is for His followers to repent, to literally turn from sin and to follow Him to our new home and new lives in Heaven. Every teaching, every moral command, every healing of body or soul, is for the sake of making this life together with God possible for us now and forever. Giving up sins of the past and turning to Our Lord for mercy doesn’t always feel good, especially if you are wedded to your own thoughts and ways of doing things.

Catholicism is not a “feel-good” type of religion with rituals sprinkled in for fun. It is aimed at communion with God. The faith we live as a Catholic instructs, forms, and heals as it deepens. Christ does not enter a difficult and uncomfortable conversation with this woman in the Gospels because He is lacking in compassion, is prejudiced, rude, or narrow-minded. Our Lord does what He often does to those needing to grow in faith. Our Lord draws out of this woman a deeper act of belief in Him, so that she will actually meet God in the healing of her daughter, and not simply receive a good thing from God, as though He were providing a service.

This, then, is the question for each and every disciple of Jesus. How do you treat Christ and our Catholic faith? What role does Jesus play in your life? Is He simply the one who gives the general moral teachings that help make you a nice person? Is Jesus in your life simply to heal and provide for you when you are in need, like a Divine Santa Claus? Is the Catholic Church something that exists only to provide for the needs of your daily lives and earthly happiness? Or do you meet Christ for His own sake, recognizing that He Himself is the goal and fulfillment of your being? If you look to Jesus first, to His face, to His Most Sacred Heart, to His Real Presence in the Eucharist before the message or the powers or the healings, you will in fact find everything you need, and all the rest will come to you as the fruit of that most important encounter. This is the mercy Our Lord desires for your life. Kyrie eleison—Lord, have mercy.

God Bless.

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