His Excellency,
The Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton, Ph.D., STD
Bishop Emeritus
Diocese of Belleville
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 16, 2026, 9:00 AM Mass
Saint Luke Parish
O Woman, O Man, Great is Your Faith! Let it be Done for You as You Desire
(This is the text as originally written. During the actual delivery, some passages were omitted and other comments were added spontaneously. Nota bene: This text has not been thoroughly proofread. Therefore, there may be errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.)
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
Recently I saw part of William Friedkin’s classic 1973 “horror film,” “The Exorcist” on cable television. When it was released, one reviewer called it one of the best films ever made about the Catholic Church. This ever-popular film, based on William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel is about a girl possessed by a demon, whose mother asks two Catholic priests to save her by performing an exorcism. Then all hell breaks loose.
Mr. Friedkin, the director, who was Jewish and an agnostic, said his film was based on the premise that the claims of Catholic Church about God, the devil, heaven and hell, are all true. The young girl in the story does not have psychological problems. She really is possessed by a demon. Her entire being has been taken over by Satan. The director said it was strange for him to learn that many contemporary Catholics seem to doubt the existence of the devil and see his film simply as a “horror movie,” when it is actually about the spiritual power of the Catholic faith.
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This morning’s gospel, Matthew 15: 21-28 presents the story of a woman whose daughter is possessed by a demon. Jesus and His disciples travel to the region of Tyre and Sidon, two Mediterranean seaside villages in Phoenicia, which is modern-day Lebanon. Sidon was founded by Canaanites, pagans who worshiped the “gods” Baal, Astarte, Mot, and Yam. Jewish people never entered these towns because they hated these unclean idol worshippers who were enemies of Israel. (So why did Jesus go there?)
From a distance, a Syrophoenician or Canaanite woman called out to Jesus, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” (The story does not tell us how a Canaanite woman could know about Jesus, why she would address him as “Lord,” why she would call him “Son of David,” (the Jewish Messiah), or why a pagan Canaanite believed Jesus could help her).
Jesus completely ignores the woman and shows no interest in helping her, saying He came into the world to tend only to the lost sheep of Israel. As you know, in ancient semitic culture it was strictly forbidden for a woman to address a man in public.
The annoyed disciples urge Jesus to get rid of her. But the woman is persistent. She kneels down before Jesus and pleads in desperation, “Lord, help me!” Jesus’ reply is harsh, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Jesus may be using a common Jewish slur by referring to the Canaanites as “dogs.” Still, the courageous Canaanite woman does not let this insult stop her. “Please, Lord, even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.”
Amazed, Jesus says, “O woman,” using the same gracious greeting that He used when speaking to His own mother, Mary, “great is your faith!” (This is in contrast with His words scolding Peter last Sunday, “O you of little faith.”) Then, He tells her “Let it be done for you as you desire.” And the woman's daughter was healed at that very hour. (How does gospel writer know this?) This story implies that Jesus initially thought that His mission was only to the Jewish people and certainly not to unclean idol worshipers. Did He only realize gradually that His Good News was for ALL people everywhere?
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Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
On this hot summer day, you probably have not been thinking about demonic possessions, exorcisms and pagan religions of antiquity. Of all the things you and your family might talk about over dinner tonight, it is unlikely that you will discuss biblical stories about the power of Jesus to expel demons.
If you were to have such discussions, the conversations would probably be different in every home. A member of one family might ask, “Do you think demons really exist? Did the Canaanite woman’s daughter simply have emotional problems? Can priests perform exorcisms today?”
In another family, someone might comment, “Well, Jesus probably really did heal the sick, but it is unlikely that He could actually walk on water the way we heard in last Sunday’s gospel.” But someone else might argue, “Jesus must have done these things to convince His disciples and the crowds who followed Him that He truly was the Messiah.” Another family member points out, “Jesus only performed miracles AFTER people, expressed deep faith in Him.” But where did the pagan Canaanite woman’s faith come from? Why does she call Jesus “Lord?”
The faithful church-going mother of another family says, “If Jesus could raise Lazarus from the dead and, if He Himself rose from the dead, He could surely free a young girl from demonic possession!” The woman’s son, who has not gone to church for years says, “Neither I nor my friends believe that Jesus raised Lazarus or anyone from the dead. Nor did He rise from the dead.” His mother retorts, “If the Bible and the Church say that Jesus worked miracles, cast out devils, and raised the dead, that’s enough for me and it should be enough for you!”
The grandfather says, “I don’t know if I believe these miracle stories or not. But last week I saw awesome images of the total eclipse of the sun because of the extraordinary positions of the earth, the moon, and the sun. The moon covered the entire sun which is 400 times larger than the moon. Yesterday, I went to the hospital and looked with wonder on the face of my new granddaughter and asked myself what kind of world will she live in when she is my age. These are miracles enough for me and proof of God’s presence and power.” (The Catholic Church has consistently affirmed that the signs and wonders performed by Jesus in the Bible really did happen, even if some of the details have been modified.)
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We all know that my reflections on Matthew 15: 21-28 about the mysterious faith of the Canaanite woman are not likely to lead you to discuss and pray about today’s gospel with your family over dinner tonight. It is well known that, for some reason, Catholic families, unlike their Protestant neighbors, almost never read, discuss, and pray about scripture together. But if you did, such a conversation might be far more spiritually nourishing for you than a conversation about the Cardinals’ game with the Cubs in Chicago this afternoon.
In a few moments, you will be fed by the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. This is an opportunity for you to enter into a dialogue with Jesus in your heart and ponder this thought-provoking story of the “faith” of the Canaanite woman and her wondrously cured daughter.
Do you believe Jesus is present and active in your life and in the lives of non-believers like the Canaanite woman or your family members who have fallen away from the church? Are you learning your faith, loving your faith, and living your faith each day in the hope that Christ may say to you, “O Woman, O Man, how great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.”
“Let it be done for you as you desire.”
Praise be Jesus Christ. Both now and forever. AMEN!