Anyone who has a dog knows the truth of the
Canaanite woman’s words concerning dog’s and table scraps.
Dogs have the ability to work their way into
their masters’ hearts in order to help them achieve what they know they need –
which is ultimately food.
In a similar way, the Canaanite woman expressed
her own need in a way that captures what it means to become a part of those
saved by Christ.
In Jesus’ day, Gentiles – those who did not
prescribe to the Jewish faith either because of ethnicity or choice – were
considered less than human, or at the least, not “savable.”
This reminded me of a conversation I had the
other day with a gentleman concerning salvation.
After discussing the atrocities that are taking
place around the world, particularly in Syria and Iraq, he asked me:
“How can such evil people be saved?”
It’s a good question; one worth considering as a Christian community.
I know for me, my immediate response to all of
this evil is to react in kind: “an eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth;” if you
will.
In my canon law class at seminary, we were
taught this interesting term: canonical equity.
For our purposes, it can be condensed to mean
that justice must be tempered with mercy.
So, while we are called to seek out true
justice, we must also realize that as Christians, we are called to reflect our
Lord’s mercy for us toward others.
This does not mean that we must be pacifists; it does not mean that we should not defend
ourselves or the needs and rights of others; but it does mean that we must never allow
feelings of hatred or vengeance to darken our wills.
As the CCC tells us, “Endowed with a spiritual
soul, with intellect and with free will,” (CCC1711) each person is made in the
image and likeness of God.
This likeness has to be seen as universal in
order for us to have any traction in today’s culture.
This means that we must affirm the truth that
every person shares in God’s image – the child in the womb; the elderly person;
the disabled; the victim.
But also the abortionist; the abusive caretaker;
and the offender.
As hard as it may be to wrap our minds around
this, the truth is that God made them too, and wants them to be saved.
So, my brothers and sisters, what does this
mean for us? Well, as I see it, two
thing:
First, that we are just as fallen as they
are.
We are no closer to salvation than they are; we deserve the same punishment from Almighty God as they do because each and every day, in our own ways, we reject God by choosing to follow our wills over His.
As a race, we have been “wounded in [our] nature[s] by original sin, [and so are] subject to error and inclined to evil in exercising [the] freedom” God has given us (see CCC 1714).
We choose the “disobedience” of sin over
righteousness as if it were a reflex.
And we have no power on our own to stop this.
Second, and Praise be to God for this, is that, while as St. Paul tells us, God “delivered all to disobedience, [that is, allowed us all to be disobedient],” he chose to have mercy on us, and save us from our self-destruction.
Yes, we are fallen, but we are also redeemed. We have been set free from the chains of our
weakness, our wickedness, our cowardice, our egocentrism, our hatred.
And Like the Canaanite woman, we have the opportunity to become children of
the most-high by recognizing our sub-human wretchedness and crying out to God
for healing.
The point of our readings today is to show us that “we have all sinned and
are deprived of the glory of God” until we accept God’s gracious and merciful
gift of Himself. And that everyone is
created to be able to accept this gift.
How do we do this?
Well, we do this as our first reading tells us: “observe what is right, do
what is just.”
This should be simple for those of us gifted by being members of the Body
of Christ in such a visible way.
We not only have the ability to observe what is “right”, but we consume
Righteousness Himself at every Mass;
we not only are able to act with justice, but can witness true Justice
tempered with infinite Mercy in the mutual sacrifice and celebration of the
Eucharist.
As human beings, God has given salvation to us freely, and as followers of
Christ particularly, God has equipped us with the tools we need to willingly
accept this gift through our faith.
God is now calling us out of ourselves, to be like him in loving those we
want to hate, forgiving those upon which we want vengeance to come.
He is calling us to bring the Good News to the greatest and the least so
that, as the Psalm for today proclaims, “all the nations [will] praise [the
Lord.]”
Salvation is a gift that is meant to transform us.
It is an example of God’s complete “self-emptying” -- laying down his
divinity to become Man in order that he could raise us up out of our fallen
humanity.
This gift is meant to change our ability to love – refocusing it out,
toward others, not selfishly curved in on ourselves.
When we accept God’s love for us, we freely choose to share this love;
it heals the wounds in our hearts that tempt us to seek only vengeance and
equips us with the strength and charity we need to bring the Gospel to those
who have not accepted it.
With this great gift of faith, we are able to “join [our]selves to the LORD, ministering to him [by
ministering to the needs of others], [and] loving [His] name … [by] becoming
his servants.” (see first reading)
We will be given the courage to relinquish our selfishness, joining it to
the offering of Christ on this altar, and thus making our free wills joined to
the will of Almighty God to be intimately united with Him forever.
Let us all to make the choice to follow Christ in this moment and every
moment, even to the cross, by bearing the light of Christ to the world.
Ask Him to help us, just as the Canaanite woman did today; ask him to help
us love as he loves; to forgive as he forgives.
Don’t be content with the scraps of self-righteousness, but take your place
at this table of total sacrifice, not as dogs, or slaves, or foreigners, but as
sons and daughters of the Most High God.
