Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Even a quick dip into the Old Testament, especially the Pentateuch, soon convinces the reader that the Chosen People and their leaders had a volatile relationship with God. God’s Covenant of promised faithfulness was meant to anchor a wandering people to the same kind of fidelity. It was God who continually called the people by means of the prophets and the law to return to their original focus and faith.
By its very nature strict observance of the Covenant would eventually highlight differences with those who did not share the same commitment or understanding. Those differences brought out hostility and wars not only within the Hebrew people but also with their neighbors. The first reaction to the difference was isolation, distance, and separation. It was a common practice that became part of the cultural fabric of that time as well as today.
We see this cultural barrier in play in today’s Gospel as Jesus met the Canaanite woman who was suffering because of her daughter’s affliction. Did Jesus intend this to be a teachable moment for the onlookers? He reflected the common cultural response but then crossed the barrier to a new relationship through the power of communication and compassion.
Current cultural barriers are just as real as those of the past. Communication of knowledge and values, on a personal as well as social level, together with a genuine expression of compassion is critical. It is the powerful combination still needed today to unlock a new attitude of cooperation.
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections