This is one of the Sundays of the year when it is especially important to read the Gospel (Matthew 15, 21-28) before coming to Mass. If we wait until the Liturgy of the Word to hear the encounter between Jesus and the Canaanite woman, their exchange of words might leave us mightily distracted. Some context, however, might help us understand and appreciate their dialogue better. “Context” means “what goes with the text,” what is between the lines, what can help us hear better what God’s Word wants to say to us.
We know that concerns about “who is in” and “who is out” have been going on since the beginning of time. We organize ourselves in families, neighborhoods, parishes, and all sorts of groups that give us identity, responsibilities, and (sometimes) privileges. Quite naturally, groups have “boundaries” and we are usually quick to know “who belongs” and “who does not.” In Jesus’ day, among the Jews, the Canaanites were definitely among those who did not belong.
When St. Matthew’s Gospel was written, however, his community was largely made up of Jewish Christians working hard to figure out how to accept, understand, and live with the presence of Gentiles (former pagans or “outsiders”) among them. Matthew 15 is essentially a fulfillment of Isaiah’ prophecy, when he spoke for God – reminding the Chosen People that their “privilege” was not for themselves, but for the sake of the world. Isaiah spoke the Word of the Lord this way: “I come, says the Lord, to gather nations of every language, they shall come to see my glory. They shall bring all your brethren from all the nations as an offering to the Lord.” (66, 18)
In the Church today, we have a great “privilege” because of the gift of our faith, and with it comes a serious responsibility: not to keep others out, but to draw them into the love of the Lord. How inclusive are we? How accepting are we? How welcoming are we?
Let us pray. “God of all the nations, to your table you invite everyone and in your family no one is a stranger. Satisfy the hungers and the longings of those who gather in your house of prayer. Mercifully extend to all the peoples of the earth the joy of your salvation. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you for ever and ever. Amen.
