Wednesday 5 August

Jeremiah 31:1-7; Canticle Jeremiah 31:10-14; Matthew 15:21-28

But she said

A Gentile woman cries out praying from the psalms and addressing Jesus by a Jewish title. She engages robustly with him. Translations obscure that five verses (15:23-27) begin with “But”. She stretches Jesus to cross racial boundaries. Do I cross boundaries? Who is “my daughter”? For whom do I cry out in prayer to God, advocating persistently in word and action? “But she came …” When does this need to be my stance? “But she said …” Would Jesus’ words to me be “you of little faith” or “great is your faith”?