Wednesday, February 13, 2019

 

THURSDAY, 5TH Week in Ordinary Time

FEBRUARY 14, 2019 – THURSDAY, 5TH Week in Ordinary Time

Sts. Cyril and Methodius, Bishops

Memorial. White.

 

Gn 2: 18 – 25 / Mk 7: 24 – 30

 

Born in Macedonia, Sts. Cyril (d. 869), a monk, and Methodius (d. 885), who became Archbishop of Sirmium, "the Apostles to the Slavs," were brothers who evangelized Eastern Europe. Together with St. Benedict (480-547), they were proclaimed co-Patrons of Europe by Pope St. John Paul II.

 

Gospel Reading:               Mk 7: 24 – 30

When Jesus left that place he went to the border of the Tyrian country. There he entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there, but he could not remain hidden.

 

A woman whose small daughter had an evil spirit heard of him and came and fell at his feet. Now this woman was a pagan, a Syro-phoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.

 

Jesus said, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she replied, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the crumbs from the children's bread." Then Jesus said to her, "You may go your way; because of such a reply the demon has gone out of your daughter." And when the woman went home, she found her daughter lying in bed and the demon gone.

 

REFLECTION

Today's Gospel reading about the cure of the daughter of the Syro- phoenician woman strengthens the opening of the Church to the non-Jews, to the Gentiles. A Jew, Jesus rightly pointed out his preference for the Jewish people in his public ministry. On the part of the Gentile woman, her response to Jesus showed her extraordinary humility and strong faith and trust in the goodness of this Jesus about whom she had had good things and whom she believed to be a holy man from God.

 

Similar to Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well, this incident clarified that, though salvation was offered to the Jewish people who had been specially prepared for the coming of the Messiah, it was really for all: the early Church would further clarify this.

 

In the light of the inclusivity of God's love for all people, how do we appreciate the Church's preferential option for the poor and disadvantaged? How do we appreciate the Church's special concern for various sectors of human society? How do we see the missionary vocation of the Church?

 

And in the light of Syro-phoenician's brilliant yet very humble reply to the Lord, are we humble and open in our prayer petitions to allow God to act on our petitions in his own way and time?

 

FINALLY, WE PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER, FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ASKED OUR PRAYERS AND FOR THOSE WHO NEED OUR PRAYERS THE MOST. 

 

 

Have a good day!

 

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