A great faith is a powerful thing. A faith that is firmly grounded in Christ enables great virtues to grow in us and enables us to trust in the Lord, which empowers us. When we believe that “for God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26), we are able to trust in His providence for us. A person of faith knows that God wants good things for us and that He will bless us with them in His time: “Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer, believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours” (Mark 11:24). The Canaanite woman in this Sunday’s Gospel reading had a great faith. She believed that Jesus could save her daughter, and that faith in Him enabled her to be prayerful, perseverant, and humble.
The Canaanite woman was prayerful. She called out: “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!” (Matthew 15:22). We can take this powerful prayer and make it our own whenever we need Jesus’s help. Whenever you ask for something in the name of Jesus, you call upon the power of the Lord.
The woman was also perseverant in her prayer. Notice that the first time she called out Jesus remained silent and “did not say a word in answer to her” (Matthew 15:23). Most of the time we experience this same thing when we pray. We pray and want an answer or a sign, but we usually receive silence, as God works in His time. However, the woman continued to cry out in prayer.
Finally, the woman was humble, knowing that she needed Jesus’s help. She couldn’t save her daughter on her own. She was also humble and trustful in that she believed that even a small intervention from Jesus—the “scraps” that fell from the table—would save her daughter. So she humbled herself, placing her needs before the Lord, and she was rewarded: “Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish” (Matthew 15:28).
This week, consider looking for opportunities to grow in perseverance in your prayer. What is it that your heart desires? What are your needs? What needs to others have that you can intercede for, like this faithful mother, crying out for her child? Whatever they are, bring them to Christ in humble, perseverant prayer.