August 3, Wednesday, the 18th week in Ordinary Time
Daily readings: Jeremiah 31:1-7, Gospel, Matthew 15:21-28
The Canaanite woman's faith was genuine, characterized by humility and reliance.
The prophet Jeremiah asserts that God is faithful to His promises because He loves the country of Israel. The security of God is to deliver the chosen people from their torment. This is the assurance provided to the selected nation. However, it turned out that only a tiny portion of the Israelites responded sincerely and honestly to God's Word.
Then, given the Israelites' attitude, we may inquire, "Is redemption reserved only for the Israelites, or is it also for other nations?" God desired to save all humanity. According to the Gospels, Jesus' meeting with a Canaanite woman demonstrates that salvation is available to everyone, not just Israelites but also non-Israelites. God's love must be extended to every person. Therefore, faith is the proper response to God's love.
It is proved that even non-Israelites have confidence in Jesus. The Canaanite woman's trust was genuine and far higher than the Israelites'. In her pleadings for her ailing child, the Canaanite woman's faith, which was marked by humility and trust, was manifest.
God's promise of salvation is for all humanity. Salvation was not limited to the Israelites alone. God requires simple, genuine faith in response to the offer of redemption. We receive the promise of redemption by recognizing Jesus Christ as the Son of God and obeying his commands, namely the mandate to love one another.
Therefore, let us receive God's love in our lives with complete trust so we can share it with our neighbors.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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