"Kadako sang imo pagtuo! Gani mabaton mo ang imo ginapangayo sa akon"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Mateo 15:21-28)

Naghalin si Jesus sa sadto nga lugar kag nagkadto sa mga lugar nga malapit sa mga siyudad sang Tiro kag Sidon.

May isa ka babayi nga Canaanhon nga nagaestar didto. Nagpalapit siya kay Jesus nga nagapakitluoy. Siling niya, "Ginoo, kaliwat ni David, kaluoyi ako! Ang akon anak nga babayi ginagamhan sang malaot nga espiritu kag nagaantos gid siya."

Pero wala nagsabat si Jesus. Ang iya mga sumulunod nagpalapit sa iya kag nagpangabay gid nga nagasiling, "Pahalina ang babayi nga ina, kay sige lang ang iya sunod sa aton kag kagahod sa iya."

Dayon nagsiling si Jesus, "Ginpadala ako diri sa pagbulig sa mga Israelinhon nga pareho sa mga karnero nga nagkaladula."

Pero nagpalapit pa gid ang babayi kay Jesus kag nagluhod sa iya nga nagasiling, "Ginoo, buligi ako!"

Nagsiling si Jesus sa iya sa paanggid, "Indi maayo nga kuhaon ang pagkaon sang mga anak kag ihaboy sa mga ido."

Kag nagsiling ang babayi, "Husto ina Ginoo, pero bisan pa ang mga ido nagakaon sang mga usik nga nagakalahulog sa lamisa sang ila agalon."

Dayon nagsiling si Jesus sa iya, "Kadako sang imo pagtuo! Gani mabaton mo ang imo ginapangayo sa akon." Kag sa amo gid nga tion nag-ayo ang iya anak.

Prayers:

"Lord Jesus, your love and mercy knows no bounds. May I trust you always and pursue you with indomitable persistence as this woman did. Increase my faith in your saving power and deliver me from all evil and harm."

***

Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

Do you ever feel "put-off" or ignored by the Lord? This passage describes the only occasion in which Jesus ministered outside of Jewish territory. (Tyre and Sidon were fifty miles north of Israel and still exist today in modern Lebanon.) A Gentile woman, a foreigner who was not a member of the Jewish people, puts Jesus on the spot by pleading for his help. At first Jesus seemed to pay no attention to her, and this made his disciples feel embarrassed. Jesus does this to test the woman to awaken faith in her.

What did Jesus mean by the expression "throwing bread to the dogs"? The Jews often spoke of the Gentiles with arrogance and insolence as "unclean dogs" since the Gentiles were excluded from God's covenant and favor with Israel. For the Greeks the "dog" was a symbol of dishonor and was used to describe a shameless and audacious woman. Matthew 7:6 records the expression: do not give dogs what is holy. Jesus, no doubt, spoke with a smile rather than with an insult because this woman immediately responds with wit and faith – "even the dogs eat the crumbs".

Jesus praises a Gentile woman for her faith and for her love. She made the misery of her child her own and she was willing to suffer rebuff in order to obtain healing for her loved one. She also had indomitable persistence. Her faith grew in contact with the person of Jesus. She began with a request and she ended on her knees in worshipful prayer to the living God. No one who ever sought Jesus with faith – whether Jew or Gentile – was refused his help. Do you seek Jesus with expectant faith?