Sunday of the Canaanite


“Behold, a woman of Canaan…cried out to Him, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’ But He answered her not a word…”

When I was a young student at our beloved Holy Cross Seminary, we had to take a class in Pastoral Care. One of the sessions during the week was a “Sensitivity Session.” The entire class, led by the Priest/Professor, would have an open discussion on who we are, as individuals, as a class, as a community and as future priests.

Sensitivity is a wonderful thing as long as it is not misdirected. We should be sensitive to the physical and spiritual needs of others. We should be sensitive to our personal needs. It is a wonderful thing to see Christians sensitive to their problems.

There are many members of the Church that are too sensitive. Many have quit the Church because someone hurt their feelings. There are others who still attend, but they are no longer active stewards in the Lord’s work because someone hurt their feelings. There are stewards who reduce their giving of Time, Talent and Treasure because something did not go their way. These people feel they are justified for their actions because their feelings have been wounded. Surely this is being overly sensitive.

Is it not being overly sensitive when one lets their wounded feelings place their soul in danger of being lost? This is the condition of all who quit the Church or cease to be active just because they did not like the message of a particular sermon or because someone hurt their feelings.

Our feelings, our emotions, are signals that warn us on life’s journey. When we began to become sensitive with jealousy, hurt feelings, a feeling of rejection these are indicators warning us that we may not have our lives properly focused.

Let us look at the story of the Canaanite woman in today’s reading of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (15:21-28). The holy season of Great Lent is quickly approaching and the Church has given us this reading today so that we may focus our attention on the necessary principles of Christian Orthodox living. It is good for us to listen to the words of St. Augustine who taught: “Do what you can and then pray that God will give you the power to do what you cannot.”

Today’s reading of the Holy Gospel tells us about the Canaanite woman who cried out to the Lord for mercy. The Lord puts her to the test and it is interesting how she reacted. Allow me to share a few points that may make us think about how we would have reacted.

The first point of the Gospel is that the Canaanite woman cried out: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” The next verse says, “But He answered her not a word.”

Does this not seem cruel? Was this not a time, if there was ever such a time, for someone’s feelings to get hurt? Was this not a good time for her to have turned away and said, “Well, if that is the way you are, I will never ask you for anything else?”

What would most of us do if we should ask our priest a question and receive no reply? Would not our feelings be hurt?

The chances are that we would quit the Church. Some would even let their feelings be known to others! Many would feel that they would be justified in doing so. But would they?

This woman did not let the silence of Christ turn her away. Was she a woman without feelings? No, but she was a woman that needed something, and she knew that Christ was the only one that could supply that need. The life of her child was in danger and she thought more of her daughter than she did of her own feelings.

Ask yourself: How many of us would pass this first encounter in which Jesus put this woman through?

This brings us to the second point. The silence of Christ was only her first experience. Most would not have gone beyond this point; and, very few would have passed the second.

When Christ did not answer, His disciples struck at her feelings. They said, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

Surely this would have been enough to send her away with wounded feelings. But, did she leave? No, her need was too great to let Christ’s disciples stand in her way. She would not let them rob her of blessings needed.

Suppose you came to someone in the church and made a request and was ignored. Would you stay or leave? If you, like this woman, knew your needs and why you came, you would remain in spite of what they said. If you turned your back because your feelings were hurt, would you not be the one to lose?

Of course, God would not be pleased with the actions of any that would try to turn someone away, but their actions would not justify quitting or never coming to church again.

If one should let even this cause him to quit the church or even pull back on his involvement in the community, what condition would his soul be in? All that know anything about the Bible and the Church know that they would be lost if they separated themselves from the church. St. John Chrysostom understood this when he wrote: “Never separate yourself from the Church. For nothing is stronger than the Church. Your hope is the Church alone; your salvation is inside the Church only, your refuge is the Church…”

Is one’s soul more important than his feelings? To let even this make someone forsake the Church would mean that he was too sensitive.

Jesus teaches that we must desire to know the truth regardless of the obstacles that seem to get in our way. St. Cyprian of Carthage taught: “Do not think that you maintain the true Gospel of Christ, if you separate yourselves from the flock of Christ.” Surely, he was influenced by the Lord’s words as recorded in the holy Gospel according to John: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (8:31-32).

The third point is extremely important. We must remember that our souls are in danger, and Christ and the Church are the only places where safety can be found. St. Augustine wrote: “One will possess the Holy Spirit only in proportion to his reverence for and adhesion to the Church of Christ.” As if these first two ordeals were not enough the woman had more yet to face.

Jesus said to her, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Imagine someone telling another person that the blessings of the Lord were not for them! We would get all upset and leave without them! But, not this woman!

“The she came and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me’.”

How many of us could worship under such circumstances? We would be furious and refuse to stay much less worship. But should we give up?

Is it more important that we obey the gospel and serve the Lord in the Church, or run home with our feelings hurt?

Our success or failures when confronted with these situations are indicative of our real desire to do what is right. Allow me to reiterate that all who know anything about Holy Scripture and the Church, know that they would be lost if they quit the church. Is your soul more important than your feelings?

The fourth point of today’s Gospel is that she had one more exchange with Jesus. Would this last and final comment hurt her feelings and drive her away? Jesus said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

Not many of us would have carried the conversation far enough to hear this statement. But, what would we have done? What would you do if someone should call you a dog?

Most of us would think this would be enough to justify our getting to heaven without ever passing by the church again. But this woman simply said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” That is saying, “I know how unworthy I am; I do not ask for anything but the crumbs.” This woman obtained the mercy she sought.

Was it worth it? It would have been so easy to let her feelings rob her and her daughter of the healing she desired and needed.

When we meet God at His awesome day of judgment, will we have let our feelings rob us of that recognition, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”

We must show the world that we walk by faith, not by feelings. What are you walking by? What about family members or close friends, how are they traveling through the pilgrimage of life? Do you quit because someone hurt your feelings?

Our efforts must echo that of the Canaanite woman so that we, too, might hear the words that the Lord spoke to her: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done to you as you desire.” Amen!



Haralambos the Holy Martyr
February 10

This Saint was a priest of the Christians in Magnesia, the foremost city of Thessaly, in the diocese having the same name. He contested during the reign of Alexander Severus (222-235), when Lucian was Proconsul of Magnesia. At the time of his martyrdom the Saint was 103 years of age.

St. Haralambos is commemorated on February 10th, with the exception when this date falls on the Saturday of the Souls preceeding Lent or on Clean Monday (the first day of Lent), in which case the feast is celebrated on February 9th.

Reading Courtesy of Holy Transfiguration Monastery