Aug 16, 2020 - 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

(Is 56:1-7; Rom ll: 13-32; Mt 15:21-28)

Isaiah’s prophecy suggests a kind of full inclusion, indicating foreigners would minister to God and serve him, even in the Temple on Mt. Zion. Those who would be God’s people must shape their life by the covenant. They must act justly, i.e. they must always do the right thing and so prepare themselves for the justice or deliverance of the Lord that will soon be revealed. They must minister to the Lord, a phrase that usually denotes liturgical service or worship. This practice of living differently on the seventh day arose during the exile when, having lost their land and living among non-Jews, Israel also began to lose their unique identity as God’s people. The term catholic means “universal.” In this universal Church founded by Christ, by baptism we are made full participants in the perfect offering and the sacrifice that Jesus makes of himself to the Father in the Holy Mass.

In the Psalm, we ask God to have pity on us and bless us; and to let his face shine upon us. In Romans, we learn Paul was the agent chosen by God to announce the extension of full covenant life to the Gentiles. He was deeply committed to a radical embrace of Jewish life as a Pharisee, he was actively opposed to the Christian movement called “The Way,” he was a scholar of the highest caliber - all of this made Paul a particularly effective instrument in the final part of the early phase of the Church’s foundation. The disobedience of Gentiles and Jews provides occasions for God to reveal the infinite range and inclusiveness of divine mercy.

In Matthew, Jesus enters into Gentile (non-Jew) territory and encounters a Canaanite whose daughter is ill. She learns he is there and goes to him, begging for help. At first, Jesus doesn’t answer her, but she continues to beg for help. Jesus is so impressed by her boldness and faith he heals her daughter. The faith of this outsider moves Jesus to include her in his mission. Persistent prayer backed by unwavering faith will receive an answer from the Lord.

• We don’t always receive the answers to our prayers in the way we want or expect to. Recall an answer to your prayer that came in an unexpected way.
• How persistent are you in prayer? What helps you persist in your prayers when you’ve prayed them for a long time?
• Are you open to having your heart conform to God’s will if he should answer your prayer in a way other than what you requested?
• Make a Prayer List; write down what you are praying for and then record the response: Yes, No, or Wait.