8/8/2012 – Wednesday of 18th week of ordinary time – St Dominic – Jeremiah 31:10-13; Matthew 15:21-28

The story of the Canaanite woman has always intrigued me, especially in the way in which it allows Jesus to grow in his ministry and in the way he sees that his message is intended for the whole world.  The Canaanite woman never gives up.  Her faith propels her to be persistent and patient, and it is through her great faith that Jesus brings healing into her life.  “The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock.”  Jeremiah’s cry, which we pray in our responsorial psalm today, should be on our own lips as well.  With so many other things in our world trying to get our allegiance and our attention, we need the Lord to be our shepherd even more than ever.
We celebrate the feast day of St Dominic today.  We probably most associate St Dominic in our diocese with the Dominican sisters who run St Dominic Hospital in Jackson.  St Dominic was born in Spain in the late 12th century near the Benedictine Abbey of Santo Domingo de los Silos, which is on the route of the pilgrimage trail that I walked in Spain this past spring.  Dominic founded the religious order known by the initials OP – the Order of Preachers – which is commonly known to the world as the Dominicans.  Dominic and his religious order were well known for their preaching.  I found it interesting to learn that the rosary gained great popularity from the preaching that Dominic did regarding it as a Catholic prayer devotion.  Among his great quotes, this one made an impression on me: “"Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes."
We give thanks for the examples of faith that we gave to inspire us on our journey, for St Dominic and for the Canaanite woman.  We give thanks to the Lord for their great faith, for their perseverance, for their journeys.  May the Lord always be with us with that same steadfast faith.