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Dear Parish Family,
The Gospels describe only two miraculous healings Jesus performed for Gentiles: the healing of the centurion’s servant (Mt 8:10-12) in Capernaum, and the healing of the daughter of the Canaanite woman which we hear today. The encounter with the Canaanite woman took place outside Jewish territory in Tyre and Sidon, two coastal cities, twenty-five and fifty miles north of Galilee in present-day Lebanon. The story of this miracle is told by Mark (7:24-30) as well as by Matthew (15:21-23). Both stories of the miracle foreshadow the extension of the Gospel, the Good News, to the whole world. The woman in the today’s miracle belonged to the old Canaanite stock of the Syro-Phoenician race. The Canaanites were the ancestral enemies of the Jews and were regarded as pagans and idolaters and, hence, as ritually unclean. But this woman showed “a gallant and an audacious love which grew until it worshipped at the feet of the Divine, an indomitable persistence springing from an unconquerable hope, a cheerfulness which would not be dismayed” (Fr. James Rowland). By granting the persistent request of the pagan woman, Jesus demonstrates that his mission is to break down the barriers and to remove the long-standing walls of division and mutual prejudice between the Jews and the Gentiles. God does not discriminate but welcomes all who believe in Him, who ask for His mercy and who try to do His will.
With Paul taking the bold step of preaching to the Gentiles and the famous dream of Peter when he was asked to eat of the animals that were dropped from heaven (Acts 10:11) the early Church took the definitive step to preach the Gospel to every group of people. It would take time, but the Church came to a deep understanding that there is no right side or left side of the Church, nor are there people who are more worthy of the promise of Christ than others. The Church realized that it was universal, it was Catholic, the word that you know means universal. The Church is made up of people from various backgrounds, but all part of One Church. The Catholic Church is not just European, nor is it just American. The Catholic Church is also Asian, South American, African, Australian etc. All are part of the one Church called to accept the spiritual, called to eternal life. Growing up in the North Eastern part of India I had teachers in the seminary from Ireland and Italy and now there are missionaries from North East of India both in Ireland and Italy. This is who we are, this is what it means to be part of the universal Church. This is what it means to be Catholic. We are Asian. We are American. We are Australian. We are African. We are European. We are Catholic.
The world needs us to be Catholic. Our country needs us to be Catholic. In the First Eucharistic Prayer for Various Needs, entitled The Church on the Path of Unity, we have the petition: In a world torn by strife may your people shine forth as a prophetic sign of unity and love. Recent events in our country are calling us more than ever to be this prophetic sign of unity amid our diversity. The world and our country needs to experience in the Catholic Church the prophetic sign that diverse people can become one unified person. The world needs to witness our living out what we proclaim with our Creed: We are One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic.
Fr. Tom Kunnel C.O.