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Homily file for August 20, 2023, 20th Sunday ● Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 ● Psalm 67 ● Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 ● Matthew 15:21-28 ●
Title: Love at First Sight.
[_01__] For myself, I perceive I meet many people each day who remain unidentified, unnamed, unknown to me. This includes the person in a store, driving a bus, delivering a package, putting food on the shelf in the store, whom I don't make an effort to see or hear. Let alone “love”. I may rush past them, not give them the time of day. I feel guilty about my hastiness later, but then the moment is gone and I never see the person again.
Nevertheless it would be
impractical – perhaps also “weird” – to ask for the name of every person I
see/meet on a daily basis, every police officer, salesperson in a store,
passenger or driver …. Not being known has its advantages and is a type of
“homeland security”. And, after all, love at first sight is very rare.
Do you, at times prefer the
security of anonymity, being unknown?
After all, we live in a
broken world in which we do not want our bank accounts tampered with or our
identity stolen! We do not want to be disturbed.
[_02__] DO NOT DISTURB. (DISCIPLES)
In the Gospel, the disciples
of Jesus are also not making an effort to know or be known by the Canaanite
woman. The disciples do not love her at 1st sight.
At this point, in their
journey, the disciples are not ready to KNOW or be KNOWN by the Canaanite
woman. Did they have a reason? Perhaps.
Historically, there had been combat and “bad blood” between the Canaanite
people and Israelite people. The disciples really did not want to know her or
her name. They do not value her.
But, in the end Jesus
praises the Canaanite woman and holds her up as a person of value for her faith
for her confidence in God.
[_03__] One writer –
reflecting on this episode in the Gospel – wrote that the episode points up
something for us to consider about both “esteem” for others and “esteem” for
oneself.
Do I love others and myself
differently. This is from the article:
“Many Christians [myself “J.F” included !!] like to think they are hard on themselves,
but easy on everyone else. …. Even if a double-standard was possible to
maintain, it’s not allowed by Scripture, so it would hardly be something to
brag about. Charitable love for self is at least implied by the commandment
that we love others as we love ourselves. Loving ourselves in the proper
context—that is, within the context of loving God, above all, and loving His
creation for His sake—is a supernatural virtue to cultivate.” (https://www.hprweb.com/2016/11/self-esteem-biblical-or-distracting/)
In other words, we are
called to love ourselves not for our own achievements or merits or successes
but to love ourselves simply because we exist.
This enables us to love
others not because of what they have done for us lately, but because they
exist.
There are “ethnic”,
political, religious differences which
divide and keep the disciples “apart” from the Canaanite woman. Do not such differences exist among us? Can
we bridge these gaps simply by hanging out together. Apparently that does not work, in Congress,
government or anywhere.
The way we “bridge” these
gaps is by a more intentional love. Jesus shows us this intentional love, since
he is a Divine Person, the Son of God, who came to unite us. God is love. If we
can live in his presence, receive his mercy, then we can go out to others.
Christ’s mercy is the
foundation for our loving relationships, including our ability to love
ourselves and then to love others, including the stranger!
Sometimes, the person in
your own house or circle is a stranger to you or you are a stranger to another.
Jesus is teaching both the Canaanite woman and the disciples that their ability to be united in faith and friendship, will come not from an exchange of their own talents or time, or just hanging out together, but their ability to love God first. Then, they can really know each other’s names.
For now, the Canaanite woman – the Gentile – the person outside the Jewish faith - has an important lesson to teach the disciples about faith and trust immediately – right away - in Jesus’ Word. Sometimes, we can learn a lot from the so-called stranger. Jesus believes in continuing a journey which begins with love at first sight.
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