Sunday 16 August 2026 – XX Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Mass
Readings:
Is 56:1.6-7 Ps 67 Rom 11:13-15, 29-32 Mt 15:21-28
Key
Verse to Meditate: "Yes, Lord; 1but even the dogs feed on
the crumbs which fall from their masters' table" (Mt 15:27).
Dear
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
This Sunday's readings beautifully emphasize the
universal scope of God's saving grace and the transformative power of
persistent faith. From Isaiah’s vision of radical inclusion to Paul’s profound
reflection on divine mercy, we see a God whose love shatters all human
boundaries. The Gospel brings this to life through the Canaanite woman, whose
relentless, humble trust won miraculous healing for her daughter and proved
that God's salvation is available to everyone who truly seeks Him.
The
First Reading: Is 56:1.6-7
In
Isaiah 56:1 and 6-7, God calls His people to uphold justice and righteousness
in anticipation of His imminent salvation, while delivering a beautiful promise
of radical inclusion for outsiders. He proclaims that foreigners who genuinely
love, serve, and commit to Him will be joyfully welcomed onto His holy mountain
and their worship fully accepted, forever marking His temple as a "house
of prayer for all peoples." Spiritually, this passage reveals that God's
redeeming grace shatters human boundaries, prejudices, and exclusivity. It
challenges us to reflect God's welcoming heart by ensuring our own churches and
communities are places of deep hospitality—actively embracing the marginalized
and those who feel like "outsiders"—while we faithfully live out the
justice and love that align with His kingdom.
The
Second Reading: Rom 11:13-15.29-32
In Romans 11:13-15 and 29-32, the Apostle Paul
explains to Gentile believers that while Israel’s temporary stumbling opened
the door for the reconciliation of the world, he passionately hopes his
ministry will ultimately draw his own people back to God's grace. He highlights
the profound mystery of divine faithfulness, declaring that God’s gifts and
calling are completely irrevocable; ultimately, God has permitted universal
human disobedience so that He might pour out His boundless mercy on absolutely
everyone, both Jew and Gentile. Spiritually, this passage offers immense
comfort by reminding us that our personal failures and seasons of waywardness
do not cancel out God's loving purpose for our lives. It challenges us to trust
deeply in His redemptive plan, encouraging us to view our own brokenness—and
the shortcomings of those around us—not as a cause for despair or judgment, but
as the very space where God desires to reveal His relentless, restorative
mercy.
The Gospel Reading: The great faith of the
Canaanite woman: Mt 15:21-28
The Twentieth Sunday in the ordinary time of the year
comes with the episode of the great faith of the Canaanite woman. St. Mark in
his gospel would add a note regarding her identity saying that, And the woman
was a Greek, a Syrophœnician by race (Mk 7:26).
Jesus had a heated argument with the Pharisees and
Scribes over issues of the Tradition of the elders and the things that can
defile a person. So he leaves them and goes into the district of Tyre and Sidon
which were fifty miles north of Israel and which are still found today in
modern Lebanon. Remember in the gospel of Matthew, while denouncing the cities
for their lack of faith and repentance, Jesus sets before them Tyre and Sidon
as examples of repentance: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they
would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, on the day
of judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you (Mt 11:21-22).
In other words, Jesus leaves the Jewish territory and goes into the territory
of the Gentiles. This pagan woman traumatised by the suffering of her daughter
came and pleaded with Jesus for a healing: "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of
David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." (Mt 15:22). The phrase, “Son
of David” (see also in 1:1; 9:27; 12:23) is the distinct Jewish designation for
the Messiah and it is a surprise that it comes on the pagan woman’s lips too.
Children’s Food and the Dog
The Canaanite woman felt a lot that she was ignored by
the Lord by his silence and later, by his harsh response: "It is not fair to take the children's
food and throw it to the dogs." (Mt 15:26). With this phrase it becomes
clear here that Jesus is pursuing the question of the distinction between Jews
and Gentiles. Jews frequently insulted Gentiles by calling them “dogs,” the
wild and the homeless scavengers that roamed freely in Palestine. The
diminutive from (kynarion rather than kyōn) here shows that it is
referred only to the pet dogs at home.
The imagery of dogs in the OT is mostly that of scavenging and sometimes
predatory wild dogs (“Do not give what is holy to dogs, (Mt 7:6). In the Jewish
society, the Dogs were thought of as lowly creatures and it stood for an image
of what is inferior and even contemptible. So in the verse here, if ‘the
children’ here are Israelites, then ‘the dogs’ must be those who are not part
of the people of God. But care must be taken to note that ‘dogs’ is not used as
a standard Jewish image of Gentiles. With these sentiments what we notice
initially is that the woman is not being treated with dignity by Jesus which is
not true. Jesus also reminded her that the covenant people must first get the
benefit of his ministry: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house
of Israel." (Mt 15:24). He has to gather everyone into the fold before the
end time. This concern of Jesus forced him also to instruct the twelve before
sending them on a mission: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of
Israel (Mt 10:6).
Test of Faith
But in this process what becomes clear is that Jesus
was testing the faith of the woman. She stands as a best example of faith. We
should seek the Lord with an expectant faith. Her faith which was like a
mustard seed, began to grow into a big tree upon coming into contact with Jesus
the Lord. She who began with a request, ended on her knees in worshipping the
living God. But finally Jesus praised the Gentile woman for her great faith.
Imagine that all the three times she addressed Jesus as ‘Lord: 1. "Have mercy
on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." (Mt
15:22); 2. But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help
me." (Mt 15:25); 3. Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall
from their masters' table." (Mt 15:27). And after the third time, Jesus
praises her faith, saying, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for
you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. (Mt 15:28).
St. Peter and the Canaanite
Woman: A Comparison of Faith
There is a great deal of comparison between the faith
of this lady and Peter in the previous chapter. When Peter began to sink he did
cry out just like the Canaanite woman: But when he noticed the strong wind, he
became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save
me!" (Mt 14:30). But instead of praising Peter for walking on the
water, he scolded him when he began to sink: Jesus immediately reached out his
hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you
doubt?" (Mt 14:31). But the Lord praised the woman saying, “Woman,
great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter
was healed instantly. (Mt 15:28). The Term Lord, refers to Jesus’ divinity and
in the previous chapter, where the disciples will use it for Jesus as they see
him walking on the water: (Mt 14:28: Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is
you, command me to come to you on the water." (Mt 14:28); But when he
noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried
out, "Lord, save me!" (Mt 14:30).
The Greek term for Lord, κύριε seems to occur only in 7:28 in Mk, where
as in Mt 19 times, in Lk. 16 times and in the gospel of Jn. 38 times. Calling on to Jesus, as the ‘Lord’ is a sign
of faith. This is confirmed in the words of St. Paul when he says, no one can
say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. (1Cor 12:3).
One of the early Church Father Epiphanius would say
that this Canaanite woman is the mother of the Gentiles because she found Jesus
and professed her true faith in him. Jesus departed from the Jews and enters
the regions of Tyre and Sidon. It only goes to show that Jesus left the Jews
behind and came to the Gentiles. The Lord came out from the Jews and the woman
came out from her gentile territory. Jesus left the Jews behind because of
their lack of faith in him and the Canaanite woman left behind her idolatry and
impious life style and found the Lord, who could free her daughter (Gentile
people) from idolatry, sin, disbelief and demon possession.
Jesus and Salvation of All
Jesus approaching the Gentile territory was for their
Salvation. Yes, Jesus was sent to the Last sheep of Israel (MT 15:24) but His
mission is for everyone who accept him and profess their faith in him. In the
second reading of today, St. Paul, the apostle of the gentiles reiterates the
mission of Christ to both the Jews and the Gentiles while making clear the
differences between the gentiles and the people of Israel with regard to faith:
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the
Gentiles, I glorify my ministry in order to make my own people jealous, and
thus save some of them (Rom 11:13-14). while speaking about the division
between the Israelites and the Gentiles now come into the faith would say that
Just as the Gentiles were disobedient once regarding faith in Lord Jesus and
now have become believers.
It was the belief of St. Paul that, the elected people
who are now disobedient to faith will turn out to be believers by the grace and
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, because that is the plan of God for
everyone: As regards the gospel they
are enemies of God for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved, for
the sake of their ancestors; for the gifts and the calling of God are
irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received
mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order
that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has
imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all (Rom
11:28-32).
What is the level of My faith in Jesus? Do I entreat
the Lord with an expectant faith?
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
