HG Bishop Ioan Casian: The Gospel of the Canaanite woman speaks of the message of the universality of salvation and of the need for perseverance in faith and prayer.
In his sermon at the Episcopal Cathedral, the hierarch stressed the importance of the Canaanite woman's encounter with Christ and her many meanings.
Today's Gospel shows us a Canaanite woman who comes to meet the Savior with a suffering she had - her daughter was tormented by the devil. It is the pain of the parent for the suffering of the child that is brought before Christ.
We also see here the meeting between the Canaanite woman and the Savior Christ in the land of Tire and Sidon which was outside the territory considered inhabited by the Jewish people. St. Epiphanius sees in this meeting a double step: from God who goes out to the territory of those who were strangers to the faith of ancient Israel and the Canaanite woman who leaves her idolatry and sinful life in approaching God. It is the image of the encounter between God and man - that is, the descent of God through economy to man and the approach of man to God through faith because of the suffering. He gives new hope to all people not only to the people of Israel about the messianic time and its fulfillment.
The Canaanite woman approaches the Savior and says, “Have mercy on me, Son of David, my daughter is badly tormented by the devil.” At the request of the woman Christ does not immediately respond according to the words of the disciples who draw attention to at her request. Today's Gospel shows us the power of perseverance in faith and prayer,says St. Nicholas Velimirovich. The woman does not get an immediate answer to her question. She perseveres in her faith and prayer. The woman seems to have known the Law by calling Christ Son of David. Her perseverance comes from the belief that God is good, and if He is a God of all, He cannot fail to care and respond to the plight of suffering.
The Savior answers in a difficult way to hear, ‘I am sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ And to the woman’s insistence ‘Lord help me’ The Savior answers: ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. But she said, ‘Yes, Lord, but dogs also eat of the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ The woman shows great humility. The Christ’s word reveals the great faith and humility of the woman. She understands that the purity of the Jewish people comes from the work of God received by faith. ‘Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith, be it unto you according to your will. And her daughter was healed in that hour.’ Christ highlights the Canaanite woman's faith as an example to those around us and to ourselves. The answer also contains a message about the universality of salvation that is for everyone, not just the Jewish people.
St. Nicholas Velimirovich says that the bread given to children means Christ and the crumbs are the innumerable graces of God poured out on all. It is like us who received Baptism and were cleansed from sin and who receive in the Divine Liturgy the Body and Blood of the risen Christ the Savior in the form of bread and wine. We receive the bread of eternal life. Other Gentiles who do not have the Christian faith receive the innumerable graces that work in the world. There is a work of God by grace and among other nations. It is a work of God beyond the limits of the visible Church.
The Church prepares us by showing us the need for perseverance in faith and hope in God's work. The fact that the Canaanite woman does not receive an immediate answer is an invitation to seek the useful patience. God responds usefully to man. That's why patience is needed. If we need a longer time to get an answer, it means that that time is meaningful and useful to better understand God's work with us. Not receiving an answer often brings with it an inner deepening of man’s reflection to searching in his own consciousness and life for meaning.
Today's example is a good preparation for the period to come, that of the Triodion with the Great Lent which requires perseverance in faith and prayer to obtain the benefits necessary for us.
