HOW’S YOUR FAITH? STRONG OR WEAK?
Memorial of Saint Dominic, Priest
My dear encountered couples:
One brief request is not always enough. A few seconds of prayer, a glance at God for help, is not always going to bring the response we would like. That’s what the Canaanite woman found out.
“Lord, Son of David, have pity on me! My daughter is terribly troubled by a demon.” Jesus acted as if he hadn’t even heard her. “He gave her no word of response.” His disciples certainly heard her. “Get rid of her,” they told Jesus. I think the woman was causing a scene that embarrassed them. Jesus then gave the woman an answer to her request. And his answer was, “No!”
But that didn’t stop her. She tried again. “Please, Lord. Please, Lord.” She kept it up until she got the answer she wanted to hear. “Woman, you have great faith! Your wish will come to pass.’ And that very moment her daughter got better.”
God is neither our slave nor our genie. He is not the instant ingredient we use to make all our wishes come true. But sometimes we might consider him those things. We give him a glance, make a request, and expect results immediately. Doesn’t always happen, does it? There are reasons – most of them known only to God. But one of them might be we need to show how much faith we have. Not that God doesn’t already know, but we probably don’t.
Do you know whether your faith is strong or weak? Strong faith doesn’t give up. Weak faith does. Strong faith knows that happiness can be found only in God. Weak faith isn’t sure. It gives God a try but will turn elsewhere when results don’t come quickly.
We know what strength of faith the Canaanite woman had. Do we know about ours?
