Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time (A)

 

Twenty-third Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) [Mt 18:15-20]

06.09.2026

Reproving Another Who Sins

Readings: (1) Ez 33:7-9 (2) Rom 13:8-10

1.  Theme in brief

Fraternal corrections within the Church

2.  Focus Statement  

We have a responsibility to bring back our erring brothers and sisters to the fold; but love and reform should be the sole motive for doing it, and not revenge or jealousy.

3.  Explanation of the text

Today’s gospel speaks about the attitude and concern of Christians towards their community members who have sinned against them. In the Church, all the members have responsibility to correct wrongdoers, even if their offence is not personally against them. Those who are offended have the responsibility to take the initiative to correct the brother or sister who has offended them.  Jesus gives a three-stage approach to ‘regain’ (technically means to convert, 18:15) an erring member in the Christian community. At each stage the only motive of correcting the errant members should be fraternal love and concern for their and the community’s good or to win them back to the community, and not revenge or retaliation. This fraternal correction is meant to win the offender back instead of driving him/her farther away. It is like a shepherd going out in search of the sheep which has gone astray.

The first stage consists of pointing out the fault of the erring brother or sister privately when nobody else is present (18:15); the second stage consists of pointing it out with the help of two or three witnesses, since according to the OT (Deut 19:15) a charge is sustained only with the evidence of two or three witnesses (18:16); and the third stage consists of reporting the matter to the Church or community only when he/she refuses to listen even to the witnesses (18:17).

If a member refuses to listen to the Church also, he/she should be treated as Israelites would treat a Gentile and tax-collector (18:17). Since both these groups were excluded from the mainstream of Judaism, the implication is that such offenders should be excluded or excommunicated from the community. This type of drastic step is to be taken only in serious matters when the welfare of the whole community is at stake, and when first two steps become fruitless.   

This power to exclude the hardhearted sinners from the community also has the aim of bringing them back to the fold when they feel the pinch. This disciplinary action is one of the aspects of the power of binding and loosing – a power given only to Peter earlier (16:19) is now given to the whole Church or community (18:18). The expressions “binding” and “loosing” could mean the authority to declare what is forbidden and what is permitted. Jesus promises his disciples that God himself will stand behind their decisions on grave matters. In other words, the decisions of the community are equated with the judgement of God.

Further, Jesus promises to be with the community where ever two or three of them gather in his name for prayer or for decision-making, such as bringing back those members who sin against them (18:20).

4.  Application to life                     

We notice in our modern world there is a tendency to emphasize more individual rights and freedom than collective responsibility for human society or community. Whenever there are personal or group conflicts, people prefer to walk away or break off from relationships and mutual bonds so quickly rather than trying for reconciliation through dialogue. In contrast to this mentality, in today’s gospel Jesus advocates the principle of our collective responsibility to bring back the erring members of our community. If one of our brothers or sisters goes astray, it is our duty to bring him/her back into the fold. Today’s gospel implies that in our Christian community each one of us is responsible for the reform and spiritual welfare of our ‘fallen’ brothers and sisters through fraternal corrections. But with what motive or intention? The text implies that love and concern for their reform should be the only motive for fraternal corrections and not revenge or jealousy. Our community member’s going astray should not be an occasion for revenge or to settle an old score. When we make excuse for our faults by saying, “To err is human,” should we not say the same thing to others’ faults?

Today’s gospel motivates us to examine how serious are we  about our responsibility to correct those who have gone astray in our families/ neighbourhood/ religious communities/ the Church, and be concerned about their spiritual welfare and growth. As Christians, we are not just members of a club or an organization, but brothers and sisters in Christ. If we value our mutual relationship within our community very highly, we should be concerned about bringing back those whom we think are guilty of an offence or sin. Therefore, in Christian families, parents have a responsibility to correct their children when they do something wrong. Similarly, husbands and wives also have the same responsibility towards one another. Priests and the religious are called to feel responsible for the reform of their fellow priests or members of their religious communities, especially of those members who have drifted away from the path chosen by them. Normally, this responsibility cannot be carried out without any fraternal corrections. Instead of shouldering this responsibility, we often try to dodge it by saying: “What is there for me. I am ok. Let the wrongdoers answer to God!”

There are reasons also to think like that. This duty of fraternal correction is a very difficult and demanding task, because it has its own risks. Humanly speaking, it is very unpleasant and embarrassing to correct somebody, especially if they are our superiors or bosses. Therefore, it involves real love for those who sin against us or against our community; courage to approach them; prayer for God’s grace to do so; and personal humility from our side. Jesus lays down three-step procedure to be followed to regain our erring brothers and sisters. Out of the three steps, the first is about private correction. Why private? Our love for one another and concern for their reform or welfare should be such that we take care of protecting the good name of wrongdoers in our community. We also have a duty to protect them against public embarrassment. By private correction we prevent the matter from becoming a public knowledge. It also gives them a chance to reform. Since correcting others is difficult and risky, what many of us do normally is to gossip about them in their absence or behind their back. Sometimes, we indulge in systematic criticism of others with the intention of putting them down or teaching them a lesson. This is like punishing them in their absence and allowing them to remain in their sins and offences. This bad habit puts the offenders to public exposure and spoils their good name and dignity.

There are quite many realistic and unrealistic fears in us that prevent us from correcting the erring members of our families, neighbourhood and religious communities or clergy. Fear of displeasing, hurting, facing a hostile reaction, revenge, backlash, entering into a quarrel, straining or breakage of relationship, difficulty in working/ living together and getting cooperation or favours from the wrongdoers, etc., often prevents us from correcting others – sometimes even our own family/ religious community members and friends. Our worst fear comes sometimes from the need to correct the religious leaders and heads of religious institutions within the Church. Most often we are ‘mortally afraid’ of correcting such leaders or heads of institutions, due to the possibility of negative consequences for ourselves and others. Instead, we indulge in destructive criticism of such authorities at their backs. Due to this, sometimes the authorities remain unaware (or only partially aware) of their unacceptable behaviour and continue in it. They have no way of getting any ‘feedback’ about their bad behaviour or actions from those who are under them. In that case, how can they correct themselves? As Jesus tells us in today’s gospel, before bringing the matter to the public forum, it is necessary to go either privately or with two or three respectable persons to discuss the matter with the erring leaders. But it has to be done out of love and keeping in mind their as well as the Church’s welfare. Though there are above-mentioned risks in this, if we really love the Church or our local Christian community, such risks are to be taken as our crosses through which alone victory may emerge.

Further, today’s message cautions all of us against our judgemental attitude towards the faults and wrongdoings of others, while we ourselves remain closed to receive any correction from them. All parents, teachers, Church leaders and religious heads who correct others have this challenge before them: “Do we, who often correct others, want to be corrected by them?” Here comes the real test of their humility. Are we justified in correcting others if any of us react against those who point out our faults politely and privately, saying, “Who are you”? Poor and powerless people will have no voice to shout back at us: “Who are you?” We should not do to others what we do not like others to do to us.

It is understood that today’s gospel text is centred on the necessity of Church discipline. Jesus cautions us about the deadly consequences of allowing sins and offences unchallenged. Extreme toleration of sinful and immoral practices within the Church lowers her image and she fails in her mission to be the light of the world. By tolerating sin and allowing it to prosper we deprive the erring members a chance to repent and come back to the right path. In that case, we too contribute to their downfall or we too expose the whole community to their bad influence. If nothing is done, sins of unrepentant sinners become like untreated leprosy spreading slowly to the whole body, namely the Church. When we fully close our eyes on dangerous evil that is spreading we also compromise the Church’s witness to the world.

The next difficulty is the one experienced by many parents about correcting their young children when they go astray or commit social or moral offences. Needless to say, parents have a God-given responsibility to bring their errant children to the right path. But the question is how? The youth become very sensitive and touchy about certain issues affecting their lives. Many parents correct their grown-up children’s unacceptable behaviour by rattling some ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’. There is a need to use confidence building measures before correcting the youth. Unless the parents diligently cultivate a spirit of trust or confidence between them and their grown-up children by frankly sharing with them some of the upheaval or turmoil they themselves went through in their younger days, how will the youngsters confide to them about these matters?  For this, they need to sacrifice some time to sit with them and talk to them. Once this habit is formed, the young children may listen to the guidance of their parents.

Today’s passage sheds some light also on the custom of excommunication practised in many rural as well as tribal societies in various parts of the world even after accepting Christianity. There seems to be some backing for this custom in today’s gospel. Normally excommunication is imposed as a last resort on adamant and non-conforming members (social offenders) who refuse to admit their fault and seek reconciliation. Though the Church respects these traditional methods of social control, tribal leaders are called to add some Christian elements into it: (1) Excommunication should be imposed as a ‘medicine’ (of course bitter) to make the offender realize his/her fault and repent; (2) it should be imposed as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted; (3) love and reform of the offender and not revenge,  personal vendetta or extortion of maximum fine should be the intention,; (3) it should not be misused by the village leaders or tribal headmen purely for selfish motives such as eating, drinking and collecting exorbitant fines; (4) (5) it could be time-bound with a provision to either lift it or continue it (but not beyond the death of the offender); and (5) some gestures of Christian forgiveness and reconciliation must be visibly offered in words and signs for those offenders who admit their offence and show signs of repentance at the meeting.

5.  Response to God's Word

In the Church, are we responsible for the reform and spiritual welfare of our brothers and sisters who have gone astray or have sinned against us?  Is love and reform the only motive for our fraternal corrections or revenge and jealousy? Do we try to get a feedback of our role as leaders from others? What is our response when others point out our genuine faults and bring us to the right path? When does excommunication of offenders become ‘unchristian?’

6.  A prayer

Lord, give us the generosity to take responsibility to the spiritual welfare of one another in our community. Fill us with love and genuine concern for the reform of strayed members so that we can rejoice over their return. Amen.

Twenty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time (A)

 

Twenty-second Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) [Mt 16:21-27]

30.08.2026

Teaching about Cross, Self-denial and Following Christ

Readings: (1) Jer 20:7-9 (2) Rom 12:1-2

1.    Theme in brief

Conditions for Christian discipleship

2.    Focus Statement  

Christian discipleship involves obedience to three conditions laid by Christ: self-denial, taking up our daily crosses and following him by sharing his suffering.

3.    Explanation of the text

In today’s gospel text Jesus explains to his disciples that his mission involves suffering and death at the hands of elders, chief priests and scribes (16:21). [These three groups make up the Sanhedrin – the supreme council of Judaism.] He makes it clear to them that he is not a Messiah of worldly power and glory, but one who suffers and dies to fulfil his Father’s mission. That is why he says that he “must go to Jerusalem” to “undergo great suffering” (16:21) because running away from Jerusalem will go totally against his God-given mission to save the world through suffering.

Although Peter had made a great confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah and Son of the living God as we heard in last Sunday’s gospel (16:16), Peter’s notion of Christ’s messiahship had to be further purified. He still had the notion of a king of power and glory endowed with divine powers to deliver Israel from its enemies and establish a prosperous kingdom on earth. The notion of a suffering and dying messiah was outside his way of thinking; in fact a scandal to his mind. How could a dead messiah save anybody? That is why Peter tried to block Jesus from the way of the cross. His way of thinking was that God would not allow such a thing to happen to his Son. He took Jesus aside and privately admonished him saying: “God forbid it” (16:22). But the fact is that it is not God who was forbidding; it is he who was forbidding Jesus to do God’s will.

When Peter advised Jesus to avoid suffering or cross, Jesus called him a Satan which means a tempter, a deceiver or an enemy of God’s purpose. What a contrast – Peter who was called “Rock” by Jesus earlier became a Satan after a while; one who was the holder of the keys of the Kingdom of heaven became a stumbling block (compare 16:18-19 with 16:23). He was identified with the same evil force (Satan) which was tempting Jesus in the wilderness after his baptism. Jesus used similar words to rebuke Peter here (“Get behind me, Satan,” in 16:23) which he used to renounce the devil during his temptations – “Away with you, Satan” (4:10). At that time also Satan was tempting Jesus to divert his mind from a single-minded devotion to God’s will and to lure him to a comfortable or cosy path devoid of cross. In the present text, Peter is shown to take the place of that Satan and doing the same. What he thinks is purely a human way of thinking and not God’s way of thinking (16:23). He advises Jesus to avoid suffering by all means.

Jesus further makes it clear that those who, like Peter, confess him as the Messiah and wish to be his disciples should be willing to do so under any conditions. Here he mentions three conditions: (1) self-denial, i.e. saying ‘no’ to self and ‘yes’ to God or forgetting oneself and putting God at the centre; (2) taking up the cross which is a symbol of suffering, sacrifice and humiliation(16:24); and (3) following him, i.e. willingness to walk in his footsteps or living as he lived. These conditions are nothing but an invitation given to the disciple to share the Master’s fate.

Jesus further declares that the precious life given to us by God is not meant for safe keeping or to play it safe all the time. Only when we spend ourselves in love, service and welfare we gain the joy and worth of life (16:25). We may try to take all the precautions to preserve life and refuse to take any risk. But life is so fragile that we may lose it at any time, after death we may be forgotten soon. The real path to inner freedom and happiness is not to “gain the whole world,” that is, acquiring all the wealth of the world but to allow the self to die. It also means allowing God to control our lives by submitting our will to him (16:25-26). Suppose a person possesses the wealth and power of the whole world and finally finds no meaning in life or finds that life is not worth living, will his wealth help him get back that lost meaning? Such a person gains the world, but loses his/her life (16:26).

4.    Application to life                     

In today’s gospel text Jesus makes it clear to his disciples that confessing him as the messiah involves a participation in his suffering and humiliating death. It also involves a vigorous battle against one’s own selfish desires, ambitions for power and prestige, and a willingness to follow the path of suffering, sacrifice, humiliation and rejection. As it is explained above, he places the following three conditions before anybody who wishes to become his follower:

(1) To deny oneself: Denying oneself involves sacrificing one’s own interests for the welfare of others. Today Jesus admonishes each one of us to say ‘no’ to a life that is centred on oneself, one’s own selfish interests, one’s own materialistic gains and pleasures, one’s own glory, name and fame; and say ‘yes’ to a life centred on God and his Kingdom.

(2) To take up one’s cross: Cross is a symbol of suffering, self-denial, sacrifice and humiliation. There are two types of crosses – the ones we get without asking (like sickness, natural calamities, death etc.); and the ones we embrace knowingly and willingly motivated by love for others as taught by Christ. The latter ones come to us when we do some voluntary service for the needy. When we render such voluntary service to our society or Church, sometimes we may have to face personal inconveniences, humiliation, loss of time, criticism, opposition, rejection, etc. The question is whether we embrace these crosses and prove to be faithful disciples of the Lord, or become unfaithful by avoiding them. Anyway, quite often the price we have to pay for our faithfulness to Christ is the cross.

(3) To follow him:  It means to be willing imitate his example of doing deeds of mercy for the needy, making sacrifices for such acts, forgiving our offenders without limit and conditions, sharing our resources with the needy, overcoming evil with good, walking an extra mile, living honestly when everybody else follows dishonest ways, etc. Can anybody do these things without denying oneself and feeling the pain of sacrifices and renunciation of one’s own ego? All these matters demand renunciation of self and accompany the shadow of the cross along with them. Therefore, following Jesus’ footsteps is closely connected with the first two conditions: self-denial and carrying one’s cross.

If we are Christ’s true disciples, we must be convinced that a life without crosses, that is, suffering and sacrifice is not his way. There is a temptation in all of us to escape not only from our personal crosses but also advise those who are dear to us not to carry them, as Peter was trying to do for Jesus. He was trying to impose his own vision of life on Jesus – a vision of life without a cross. Today’s gospel challenges us to examine whether heart of hearts we dream of a comfortable Christianity that conforms well to the standards of the world; whether we have a desire for “cheap grace” without paying any price (that is, without making sacrifices); and whether we are trying to abandon the cross of Christ. Heart of hearts there is a desire in many of us to follow a ‘cross-less’ Jesus, a ‘sweet Jesus’ or a ‘sugar-coated’ Jesus. If we were allowed to follow Jesus selectively, how happy we would have been to select the image of Baby Jesus in the manger of Bethlehem, of the prodigal son getting pardon for all his sins, of Jesus rescuing his disciples from the deadly storm with his miraculous power; and abandon Jesus who asks us to forgive our bitterest enemies and tells us to take up our heavy crosses and follow him. In our mission work too we are tempted to embrace only projects, budget, fund-raising, membership rolls, targets, etc., instead of embracing our daily crosses and serving the needy.

When Peter rebukes Jesus, he in turn rebukes Peter in the strongest language possible: “Get behind me, Satan,” (16:23), because like Satan he acts as a deceiver. He tries to tempt Jesus to deviate from divinely ordained mission to attain glory through the way of the cross. Instead of following Jesus as a disciple, he wants that Jesus should follow him or his way of thinking. Jesus rebukes Peter sternly saying that he should get behind him and follow him, instead of asking the Master to follow the disciple. The disciples are called not to be mere witnesses and preachers of Jesus’ suffering but actually live the life of suffering occasionally in their own bodies for his cause. Today, the word “Satan” could mean any force including well-meaning friends/companions who seek to draw us away from the path of sacrifice and self-denial taught by Christ and pull us towards world’s path of working purely for self-interest and self-glory. Those whom we love may advise us to avoid the crosses, as Peter advised Jesus. On the other hand, when our family members and friends have to take a firm stand on a principle, like Peter, we too might advice them: “God forbid it” (16:22), that is, God does not demand such a hard thing from you.  Actually speaking, it is not God who forbids; we ourselves forbid a hard decision in God’s name. On the one hand, Jesus’ thoughts of a suffering messiah were a stumbling block (a scandal) for Peter and his companions to accept; on the other hand, Peter himself was a “stumbling block” on the path of Jesus (16:23). Similarly, we become a stumbling block for others to follow Jesus closely, or others become a stumbling block for us.

The challenge of Christ to take up our daily crosses can take newer and newer forms for each one of us individually and also for the Church as a whole. Personally for each one of us, crosses may mean not only sufferings which come from sickness, calamites and death, but also humiliation we may have to face from our opponents and critics or detractors. We are called to take up the crosses of humiliation when we become a laughing stock for standing firm on pro-life issues or want to purify the society from social evils; when we face intimidation for telling the truth; when we become victims of misunderstanding/ false accusation/ unjust or partial treatment at home or in workplaces, etc. Crosses also include all the sacrifices we make to go beyond our selfish boundaries as we die to our selfish world and rise to a life lived for our others.

The Church as a whole also carries the crosses of rejection, hatred, mocking, false propaganda and outright persecution in various parts of the world whenever she fulfils her prophetic role by standing against corruption, injustices and violation of human rights, or for standing firm on certain moral principles (on issues such as euthanasia, abortion, gay marriages, homosexuality). The gospel-message of today invites us to identify our present crosses and challenges us to take them up, if we wish to remain as faithful disciples of Jesus. To take up or not to take up our crosses; to embrace our crosses or avoid them is the question. Our discipleship depends on how we answer this question.

Further, Christ’s teaching about losing and finding life in today’s gospel, challenges us to make a choice between one of the two directions to life: (1) the easy one which consists of holding on to life at any cost, or living life exclusively for oneself, for one’s own gains and pleasures; and (2) the hard one which consists of spending one’s life, renouncing one’s own security and comfort for the good of others, or seeking welfare of others instead of exclusively one’s own. The more we hold on to life for our own selfish gains, the more we will slip into the slavery of always wanting more and more.

Today’s gospel invites us not to live a wasted life by refusing to spend it for others’ welfare. A wasted life is that which is fully preoccupied with itself, unwilling to spend life for love of others. Let us think of the precious time we have wasted, the love we have failed to give to those who needed it, the duties we have neglected, the responsibilities we evaded, the compassion we failed to show, the powers we failed to use for the good of others, etc. Can the possessions of the whole world make up the loss resulting from a wasted life? What is the use of just existing and not living our lives with a purpose? Life is not given to us for safe keeping but for losing or spending it. We find tremendous joy of satisfaction and fulfilment when we see others gaining life because of our losing it for their sake. What does it profit if we have all the facilities of modern world, but lack real peace and inner joy?

5.    Response to God's Word

Like Peter, do we want God to follow our way of thinking? Which are the crosses we try to avoid? Can we identify those crosses we embrace knowingly and willingly motivated by love and Christ’s teachings? For the service of our society or to do good to others, do we face personal inconveniences, humiliation, loss of time, criticism, opposition and rejection? Do we advise those who are dear to us not to avoid crosses? Are we guilty of living a wasted life by refusing to spend it generously out of love for others?

6.    A prayer

Lord Jesus, make me your faithful disciple by embracing my daily crosses. I say ‘no’ to my self and say ‘yes’ to your way of sacrifice. Grant that I may follow you everyday by renouncing my self and walking in your footsteps up to the way of the cross. Amen.

 

Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time (A)

 

Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) [Mt 16:13-20]

23.08.2026

Peter’s Confession of Faith in Jesus

Readings: (1) Is 22:19-23 (2) Rom 11:33-36

1.    Theme in brief

Personal commitment to Jesus

2.    Focus Statement  

Christian faith does not consist in only knowing about Jesus, but knowing Jesus personally and living out that faith in the Church founded on the authority given by Christ to Peter.

3.    Explanation of the text

The question raised by Jesus to his disciples at Caesarea Philippi, according to today’s gospel, about his true identity marks a turning point in his life. From this point onwards he begins to correct their wrong understanding of his messiahship. He begins to instruct them about his destiny to suffer and to die (16:21). First he asks them about popular and public opinion about his identity by referring to himself as “the Son of Man” – a title that has a messianic connotation in Jewish mindset (16:13). The disciples reply that the public opinion about him is divided, but one thing is common: he is no ordinary person. Some say that he is John the Baptist risen from the dead; others say he is prophet Elijah who (according to popular belief) is supposed to return before the Messiah comes. Some others say he is Jeremiah who was also (like Jesus) rejected by his people (16:14). Next he asks them a specific and personal question: What do ‘you’ and not others, say about me (16:15)? In other words, he asks them to take a personal stand about him or give their personal opinion about him irrespective of what others may say. Thus the first question is about public opinion on him and the second is about their personal opinion.

Peter becomes the spokesperson for all the Twelve and pronounces his confession of faith on their behalf: “You are the Messiah (means in Hebrew Christ or the Anointed One), the Son of the living God” (16:16). Simon Peter’s confession implies that for him Jesus is more than a prophet. For him he is both Messiah and the Son of God (a divine person). Of course, later on we will come to know that his notion of Jesus’ messiahship is not yet fully perfect. He still has the notion of a king endowed with divine powers who will deliver Israel from its enemies and establish a prosperous kingdom on earth. After all, he is aware that in the OT even kings (belonging to David’s dynasty) are called sons of God.

In spite of Simon’s wrong understanding, Jesus declares Simon blessed; because what he has confessed has come to him from a divine revelation, and not from any “flesh and blood” (that is, human wisdom or mortal power, 16:17). It is not the result of his merit or human effort but is a pure gift from God. He grants this gift to whomever he wants. Due to this, Jesus gives him three special privileges: (1) to be a rock of firm support for the community of believers; (2) to hold the keys of the Kingdom of heaven – symbolizing his power to bind and to loosen, that is, to work for the reconciliation of people among themselves and with God; and (3) to be the foundation on which the Church – the community that seeks to live the message of the Kingdom – will be built (16:18-19).

The change of name from Simon to “Rock” or Peter indicates his new role as the leader of the new community (the Church). Jesus promises that powers of death and the underworld or hell (“the gates of Hades”) opposed to God will not be able to destroy the Church fully (16:18). He also promises that God himself will bind and loose what Peter binds and looses – which may imply a special authority given to him in matters of church discipline, decision-making, forbidding or allowing something, forgiving or not forgiving sins, etc.

4.    Application to life                     

Most of us are Christians today because we were born of Christian parents who brought us up in their faith. It was their choice, rather than ours. But the question is: today, why do we want to be Christians? Jesus asks each one of us, “Why are you following me? Who am I for you personally?” If Jesus were to ask this question to you, what would be your answer? Here catechism or theological answer will not do. Today’s gospel text challenges us to examine whether as adults now we are Christians purely because of our parents or birth in a Christian family, because of our personal conviction and resolve to commit ourselves to the cause of Christ. The question is not what our parents taught us, what preachers preach to us, what catechism teachers teach us, what theology tells us about Jesus Christ, but what I personally say about him. Can each one of us say that today I am a Christian not only because of my parents, but because of my personal conviction that Jesus is my only Lord and Saviour? Can I say that Christ’s message as well as example of love, peace and compassion, liberation from sin or evil and change to a new way of life (here and hereafter),  has touched and influenced me in such a way that I cannot but say: “To whom shall I go? Lord, in you alone are words that sustain love and divine life” (cf. Jn 6:68-69).

Today’s text motivates us to not to be satisfied by going through all the religious observances just to follow the crowd or because others are doing it, but to make a personal commitment or decision to live Christ’s values. Jesus asks each one of us: “Why have you chosen to follow me?” Just repeating Peter’s answer is not enough. Christ is not only a historical figure, a hero of the Bible, a Person who is present in the church or any place of worship, but also he is alive. We are called to show to the world that Christ not only existed in history, but also he can be encountered today with faith in all the ups and downs of life. The question we need to ask is: Do Christ and his values make an impact on our lives? Everyday we need to make a personal decision to live by his values and meet him through our active concern for the needy, compassion for those who suffer, forgiving the offenders without conditions, etc.

Today’s gospel invites each one of us has to make a personal discovery of Jesus. Christian faith is a personal decision to commit ourselves to Christ. To each one of us Jesus asks: “You, and what do ‘you’ say about me?” Christian faith doesn’t consist only in knowing about Jesus, i.e. only about his life and teachings. One may know all his teachings or words by heart for the sake of knowledge or to get best marks in a Bible test, or one may admire him as an extraordinary personality, but need not be committed to him or his cause at all. Christian faith consists in knowing Jesus personally. From John’s gospel we come to know that Jesus had asked Pilate during his trial whether it was his personal opinion that he (Jesus) was the King of the Jews or he was saying it because others had told him so (Jn18:34). Similarly he asks us today: “You call me Lord and Saviour because your parents/ teachers/ catechists/ religious preachers have told you so, or out of your own personal conviction?” Jesus seems to say: “Forget about your parents and other spiritual guides, now who am I for you personally?”

How do we grow into the personal ‘knowledge’ (or experience) of Jesus? We grow (1) by developing a personal and deeper intimacy with him through prayer and meditation on his Word; (2) by taking a personal stand for his values and resisting worldly values; and (3) by trying to imitate his spirit of selfless love, service and compassion, especially towards the needy, the suffering and the marginalized. Hence, confessing our faith in Christ, as Simon Peter did, also involves a decision to follow the course of life which Jesus lived: an active concern and compassion for the poor and the downtrodden and taking up our crosses of suffering for the welfare of others. Our confession of faith should reflect in our life and actions.  We have to make a decision either for Christ or against him everyday in life-situations. In our day-to-day life sometimes we decide against him by not only committing sins but also by omitting to do the good he has commanded us to do, or by keeping silence when his values are violated.

When people of other faiths ask me why I am a Christian, after showing due respect to their religious faith, I give mainly two reasons for my personal choice to follow Christ: (1) I am attracted to the image of God as taught by him. Christ has told us that God forgives sinners without any condition (such as, if you behave well, I will love you) and limit. He loves a sinner even while he/she is sinning. God goes in search of a sinner and forgives him/her without giving any punishment. He is a God, who gives everything freely and asks nothing for himself, not even a sacrifice. This image of God is very appealing to me.

(2) I choose to follow Jesus and love to be his disciple because of his identification with my struggles, doubts, rejection and suffering. I believe that following him gives meaning to the mysteries of my life. When I think about the struggles and problems of my own life, I find a reflection of those things in his life. Though he was innocent, he was crucified like a criminal. He didn’t want to suffer like any other human beings, but he willingly took upon himself all our sorrows and painful death. He too felt as I feel that even God had abandoned (forsaken) him when he suffered alone the agony of the cross, rejected by all. When I am rejected by others, when I suffer unjustly, when my prayers are not answered and when I feel the absence of God, I can cry out with Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me (Mt 27:46)?”

Besides, today’s text has another lesson. It invites us to live out our faith within the Church which is built on the foundation (rock) of Peter’s confession of faith and the authority given to him. We need to firmly believe that the powers of death and destruction cannot prevail over the Church, as Jesus assured to Peter. When we observe divisions and scandals in the Church, it is natural for us to doubt whether the Church is holy at all. Besides internal turmoil, there are external forces that are bent on destroying the Church. In spite of internal upheavals due to human limitations/ failures and external opposition by satanic forces, Jesus has assured us that his Church will stand firm. Whenever we are shaken by the scandals and shocking events in the Church we must remember the assurance given by Jesus that human failures and limitations cannot totally destroy his vision for the world or the mission he entrusted to the Church. After all, the light of faith has come to us not only through saints but also through many missionaries and evangelizers who had their own human weaknesses throughout the history of the Church.

5.    Response to God's Word

Today, why are we Christians? Is it purely because of our parents, or birth in a Christian family, or out of our own personal conviction? Do we take a personal stand in favour of Christ’s values when confronted with worldly values? Does our confession of faith in Christ reflect in our life and actions? In our day-to-day life when do we fail to decide for Christ or his values? Or what are the ways in which we go against him? How often do we go against him by omitting to do the good he has commanded us to do? Do we dilute our faith or Christian commitment because of scandals in the Church?

6.    A prayer.

Jesus, I accept you as the only Lord and Saviour of my life. I once again make a personal commitment to live by your values. Give me the courage to stand firmly for your standards when they are negated by the world. May your Church be a sacrament of your love and be faithful to your mission in spite of her human frailties. Amen.

Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (A)

 

  Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time (A) [Mt 15:21-28]

16.08.2026

The Canaanite Woman’s Faith

Readings: (1) Is 56:1.6-7 (2) Rom 11:13-15.29-32

1.    Theme in brief

A deeper and persistent faith

2.    Focus Statement   

Healing or salvation is a gift given by Jesus to anyone who has “great” and persistent faith irrespective of his/her ethnic or racial background.

3.    Explanation of the text

Matthew has placed this passage immediately after Jesus’ dispute with the Pharisees and scribes regarding purity and impurity (15:1-20) to show that Gentiles will no longer be considered impure. Here, a Gentile woman belonging to the hated Canaanite race becomes a model of genuine faith. This indicates that God's compassion is no more restricted to the chosen race (Israel) and will lead to the world-wide Gentile mission in future. It looks as if Jesus purposely goes to Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile territory (15:21) and does this miracle to show that a Gentile woman has better faith than the chosen people (Israelites).  

In her desperate moment, the woman firmly believes that Jesus is the only hope for her daughter who is tormented by a demon (15:22). By addressing him as Lord and Son of David (15:22), she acknowledges that he is the promised Messiah from David’s dynasty (or from the Jewish race). All that she asks for is a prayer we often repeat in the liturgy: “Lord, have mercy” on me (15:22).

The disciples request Jesus to send away the woman either by attending to her need quickly or refusing her, because she seems to be a nuisance to them (15:23). Though he hears her shouting, first he does not answer at all (15:23), and later says his primary mission is for Israel whom he compares to a lost sheep as Isaiah did in his days (Is 53:6). If we think that Jesus is unwilling to answer her request because she is a Canaanite, this story would get an ethnic or racial colour. In fact, he is not interested in her race but in her faith.

In fact, Jesus severely tests her faith even after begging for help (15:25).  The first test comes when Jesus shows at first his reluctance to help her on the ground that his present mission is limited only to the lost seep of Israel (15:24), though a time will come when it will be equally open to the Gentiles. The second test comes when she comes and kneels before him (acknowledging his divine origin) and begs for his divine assistance (15:25). At that time Jesus answers that it is unfair to throw children’s bread to the pet-dogs in the house (15:26). Though this indirectly implies that the Jews are like children and Gentiles are like pet-dogs, it all depends on how one says it. Jesus’ compassion for her and her daughter and his appreciation for her faith later on clearly indicate that he must have used these seemingly rough words with a smile just to test how deep her faith is. She passes in the test of faith and comes out successfully when she wittingly replies that even the pet-dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table (15:27). She indirectly admits with all humility that though she is like pet-dogs, she must be permitted to eat at least the crumbs from the children’s share. She recognizes Israel's priority in the divine plan.

At the darkest moment of her life she goes on pleading persistently in spite of being snubbed both by the disciples and Jesus in the beginning. Here is a Gentile woman who is convinced that he is the Messiah and seeks his mercy, whereas the Jewish leaders reject him. Jesus appreciates and rewards her “great” and persistent faith by healing her daughter (15:28). The message becomes clearer that healing is a reward given by Jesus to anyone who has “great” faith irrespective of his/her ethnic or racial background. Though she only asks for crumbs that fall from the master's table, she receives a sumptuous feast when she sees her daughter in the pink of health. Jesus’ praise for her faith (15:28) makes it clear that both the Jews and Gentiles can approach God only through faith in him as Messiah, and not on the basis of their race.

Application to life                     

We notice four characters in today’s gospel text: the Canaanite woman, her daughter, the disciples of Jesus and Jesus himself. All the four had different attitudes. The daughter was tormented by a demon and not in her sound mind; the disciples wanted Jesus to dismiss the woman immediately; the woman recognized the divinity in Jesus by calling him the Son of David; but Jesus recognized her great faith and rewarded her by healing her daughter instantly purely on the merit of that faith.

It is a human tendency sometimes to do favours requested by people who are not so close to us, just to get rid of them. Like the disciples of Jesus, we too think of helping people, of the kind of Canaanite woman, to be freed from the nuisance they cause, and not really out of compassion or love as Jesus did. Once we can get rid of them, we think we can have peace. Thus our personal convenience takes precedence over genuine human need. It is good to examine and see how many times we have become deaf to the needs of the poor and the suffering and avoided them for our comforts. Are the poor and the needy persons a nuisance for us?

Secondly, discriminations and prejudices based on somebody’s gender, ethnic or racial origin, nationality, tribe or caste and religion are very common among people all over the world. We notice stereotyping and name-calling of people belonging to another ethnic/ racial/ caste/ religious community in various parts of the world. We have also witnessed religious crusades or hate campaign against others’ religion and ethnic cleansing or genocide in the pages of history up to modern times. Even today religious fundamentalism or fanaticism gives rise to wars, riots and terrorist activities. From today’s gospel text we come to know that Jesus crossed three barriers in order to heal the daughter of the Canaanite woman.

First of all, she was a woman who did not matter much in his society because of gender discrimination between men and women; secondly she was a hated Gentile and a follower of an idolatrous religion; and worst still she was a Canaanite by race whose people were considered to be national and religious enemies of Israel. Jesus did not attend to her appeal in the beginning, not because she was a woman, or a Gentile, or an enemy of his race and religion. For him all these things were immaterial. He just wanted to see the depth of her faith by testing it.  Once she passed the test of faith, he rewarded it by healing her daughter instantly. Though she was a pagan, Jesus finds in her “great faith” (15:28) in contrast to the “little faith” of disciples whom he had chided earlier. His heart is bigger and larger than our exclusive boundaries. He wants to tell us that God looks into our hearts and the depth of our faith and not at our gender, race, caste or nationality. Faith alone brings salvation and not our races. We have to examine ourselves and see whether we exclude or shut out some people from our service or dealings due to prejudices against their caste, race, nationality, religion and bad record; whether we make room for everybody in our dealings; whether we are ghetto-minded; and whether our faith in Christ and the example of this non-Israelite woman motivate us to overcome our racial and religious prejudices with the power of faith.

Various type of prejudices mentioned above are so deeply rooted in us that our Christian faith has not succeeded in removing them fully. Why? We have two natures, so to say. Our first nature is human nature. As far as human nature is concerned we are like all other people of the world. But the culture in which we are born makes us unlike other people of the world. It becomes our second nature, since it gets deeply rooted in our psychic system through a process called ‘enculturation’. (Anthropologists use this term for the process through which a child unconsciously imbibes the cultural patterns of the society into which it is born and brought up.) Because of enculturation we think that our customs, food, dress, songs, attitudes, etc., are the best ones and others’ are not so good. Similarly, we are brought up to think that our religion is the best one and what others believe is mostly superstition.

Today’s gospel deals with the issues of inclusion and exclusion in our social relationships and in the Church. Jesus makes it clear that the only condition for salvation is faith and human need. Anyone who is in need of God’s grace and our helping hand should not be turned away. When this condition is met, our policy should be: “Include all, exclude none!” All of us have our boundaries. But our Christian faith is supposed to equip us with supernatural grace to go beyond our boundaries and rise above our natural inclinations. But quite often ethnic/ racial/ caste/ religious prejudices predominate over faith even among those who have undergone long years of spiritual formation and theological training. This passage makes it clear that God’s mercy is above ethnic and religious barriers that we humans have established. We need to make conscious efforts every day to overcome our prejudices with the power of faith. Otherwise the result will be scandalous divisions, groupism, unhealthy competitions, power struggle based on group affiliation, etc., in our Christian communities, dioceses and religious congregations. Today’s gospel invites us to move from our narrow-mindedness to broadmindedness, from ghetto-mentality to universal outlook, and from exclusive relationships to inclusiveness.

Thirdly, the Canaanite woman in today’s gospel teaches us about the need for persistent faith and perseverance in prayer. It is clear that she loved her daughter so dearly. That ardent love motivated her to plead with Jesus with persistence and perseverance. She considered Jesus not only as her only hope but also the only hope for her daughter’s life. From the beginning her approach to Jesus was of total trust and humility. First she addressed Jesus as the Lord and Son of David (that is, the promised Messiah from David’s dynasty). Then she asked him to have mercy on her. Later she knelt down before him in humble prayer, begging for his help. She did not give up at both the tests put by Jesus: (1) that his ministry for the time being is limited only to Israelites; and (2) that it is not fair to give children’s bread to pet-dogs. Jesus rewarded her indomitable and persistent faith. The decisive question is whether we show our unshakable trust in God by persistently praying, like her, especially when God delays granting us what we ask for in prayer for reasons known to him alone.  Even after praying regularly if we do not get what we ask in prayer, there is a great temptation in all of us to give up prayer altogether. Our prayer of petitions is not meant only to get personal favours from God, but also to increase our dependence and trust in him. Repeated pleading like the Canaanite woman, makes us humble beggars of God’s mercy and increase our intimacy with him. Intimacy or communion with God is what prayer is all about.

4.    Response to God's Word

Do we exclude or shut out some people from our service or dealings due to prejudices against their caste, race, religion and bad record? Do we make room for everybody in our dealings? Are we Christians ghetto-minded? Do we have the persistent faith like this Canaanite woman? Do we perseverance of faith, especially when God does not grant us exactly what we desire? Due to our failure to make conscious efforts to overcome our prejudices with the power of faith in Christ, do we become a part of those forces that create scandalous divisions, groupism, unhealthy competitions, power struggle based on group affiliation, etc., in our communities?

5.    A prayer.

Gracious Lord, grant that genuine human need may take precedence over our personal convenience in our conduct. We are sorry for the times we excluded or shut out some people from our service or dealings due to prejudices against their caste, race, nationality, religion and bad record. Grant that we may make conscious efforts every day to overcome our prejudices with the power of our faith and move from our narrow-mindedness to broadmindedness, from ghetto-mentality to universal outlook, and from exclusive relationships to inclusiveness.