August 20, 2023: 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Even in the days of the Old Testament Covenant, God had in mind that His Kingdom would be open to all people of the whole world.

Going beyond the external prescriptions of the Law, God is pleased by those whose hearts are faithful to Him.

And so He has promised that the benefits of the covenant will go to His people, the Hebrews, and to the Gentiles. As St. Paul makes clear, these promises are irrevocable, as He bestows His mercy on all.

The Gospel story has a great example of how this applies to one particular person.  While Jesus at first appeared to ignore the Canaanite woman pleading for His help, in her persistence, she revealed great faith, the kind of faith present throughout all the Gentile people.  I personally like this story because the woman offers a great comeback line to Jesus's remark about the dogs.  She demonstrated great faith by recognizing how the blessings of the covenant would extend to all people beyond Israel.

I am grateful for those who have been part of my life along the journey, drawing faith out of me. Around this time of August, I think about the impact of the St. Teresa's church community when I was in college as they reached out to welcome students from a variety of backgrounds, and build a community in the power of faith.