A Glimpse of Spirituality 靈修一瞥141 (Matt 瑪15:21-28)                                       

 

The Canaanite woman achieved a miracle because of the courage of her conviction. It proves that God does not just love those who are like us. God’s mercy extends to those who are different from us, to those whom we might even consider to be our enemy. Certainly, the Jews considered Canaanites an enemy. That is why the disciples tried to shoo her away. Faith, however, can astonish us and miracles can happen.

 

God’s vision is so much greater than ours. Those who may seem to be outside the church are not necessarily outside the love of God. God’s love knows no boundary and God ever extends God’s hand to those who seek to be God’s children. The reply of Jesus to this woman seems very rude: “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” “Dogs” (kynariois) in Jewish culture are portrayed negatively. For instance in Deut 23:18, the Jews equated dogs and prostitution: “You shall not bring the hire of a harlot, or the wages of a dog, into the house of the Lord your God…” This insulting term was said by Jesus with purpose. The hidden purpose is to announce the faith of this pagan woman.

 

The woman replied to Jesus with strong faith, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Finally, Jesus answered, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”

 

Are we willing to extend to others the same kind of mercy that God extends to us? Can we accept those who are different?  Are we willing to love those we have been taught to despise? Today, we gather around this table for communion. People of every race, from every region gather together in communion, bound by our love of the Lord and our hunger for the Eucharist. Pray that we may be as merciful to one another as God is to us.

​

客納罕婦人因著堅定信德而獲得奇蹟，證明天主不只愛那些與我們類似的人；天主慈悲延伸到那些跟我們不同的人，延伸到那些甚至是敵人的群組。當然，猶太人認為客納罕人是敵人。這就是為什麼門徒試圖趕走她，然而，信德可讓人們驚訝，奇蹟也隨之發生。

天主的視野總比人要寬大得多，教會以外的人不一定被排斥在天主大愛之外。天主的愛無邊無際，祂向所有想成為天主兒女的人伸出援手。耶穌對這婦人的回答看似非常粗魯：“拿兒女的餅扔給小狗，是不對的。”猶太文化中的“狗”(kynariois) 被描繪成負面形象；比方，在申23:19中，猶太人將狗和賣淫等同起來：“你不可將賣淫的酬金和賣狗的代價，帶到上主你天主的殿內。。。”耶穌說這侮辱的話是有目的，背後目的是為了宣布這外邦女人的信德。

女人以堅定信德回答耶穌：“是啊！主，可是小狗也吃主人桌子上掉下來的碎屑。”最後，耶穌回答：“啊！婦人，你的信德真大，就如你所願望的，給你成就吧！”

我們是否願意向他人提供天主給予的慈悲？能接受那些跟我們不同的人？是否願意愛那些因被誤導而去鄙視的人？當我們聚集在祭台旁舉行彌撒時，來自各種族、各邦國的人都在聖體聖事內共融合一，我們對主的熱愛以及對聖體的渴望，都讓我們緊密相連。但願我們能像天主對我們一樣，彼此慈悲對待。