We are now in the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time. And in our gospel today we read about the

Canaanite woman's plea to Jesus to heal her daughter that is being tormented by a demon. At first,

Jesus seemed to ignore her to the point that the apostles were already annoyed by her persistence.

And so, Jesus said to the woman: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (v26). But

the woman's answer impressed Him: "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from

the table of their masters"(v27). Because of the Canaanite woman's great faith, her daughter was

healed.

In our lives, we have approached God many times to ask. Sometimes it seems like He grants our

prayer very quickly. But there are times when He seems to ignore us like the woman in the gospel.

What should we do in this situation? Are we just going to give up because God is not listening to us

or are we going to continue praying and asking?

This Sunday's gospel teaches us to imitate the faith of the Canaanite woman. She didn't stop coming

to the Lord even though He seemed to be ignoring her and even being pushed away by the disciples.

Let us remember that its okay to repeatedly ask the Lord for something especially if what you're

asking for is good. Let us not be afraid of Him because He is like a good father who always wants the

best for his children.

On August 27, we will also celebrate the feast of St. Monica. She is the mother of St. Augustine. She

is known for her intense prayers for the conversion of her son. It took her 17 years before God

granted what she asked for! St. Monica is a good example on how to be patient and persistent in

praying.

As we continue our journey this Ordinary Time, may we find inspiration on the Canaanite woman's

persistence and St. Monica's patience. Let us always believe and trust that God will grant what we

pray for in His perfect time.

May God bless us all!



Khalil Marcelo | OLA Social Communications