God has no difficulty in saying no to our prayers.

Look how He said no to even His most faithful servants.

He said no to Moses who was prevented from entering the Promised Land. He said no to King David building Him a temple. When Saint Paul asked that the thorn on his flesh be removed, God said no too.

He even said no to His Son when He prayed, “Take away this cup.”

God does not hesitate in saying no to your prayers.

Not because He is cruel. Not because He is stingy. And surely, not because He doesn’t love you.

He says no to your prayers because He can see the bigger picture. 

He knows what is truly best for you. So, the next time God says no to your prayer, be excited because your yes is coming. 

Arun Gogna (gognuts@yahoo.com)

reflect

Trust God when He says no.

Lord, may I fully accept whatever answer You will give to what I pray for. Amen.

St. Casian of Autun, pray for us.

First Reading | Jeremiah 31:1-7

The translation in verse three is poor. It should read something like this: “God has bought you because of His love for you.” Knowing this truth gives us the strength and courage to persevere in our service of the Gospel. God has paid for us with the life of His Son. It is not much to ask that we give something in return for such generosity.

¹ At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the tribes of Israel, and they shall be my people. ² Thus says the Lord: The people that escaped the sword have found favor in the desert. As Israel comes forward to be given his rest, ³ the Lord appears to him from afar with age-old love I have loved you; so I have kept my mercy toward you. ⁴ Again I will restore you, and you shall be rebuilt, O virgin Israel; carrying your festive tambourines, you shall go forth dancing with the merrymakers. ⁵ Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; those who plant them shall enjoy the fruits. ⁶ Yes, a day will come when the watchmen will call out on Mount Ephraim: “Rise up, let us go to Zion, to the Lord, our God.” ⁷ For thus says the Lord: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The Lord has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm | Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12, 13

R: The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

¹⁰ Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, proclaim it on distant isles, and say: He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together, he guards them as a shepherd his flock. (R) ¹¹ The Lord shall ransom Jacob, he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror. ¹² Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion, they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings. (R) ¹³ Then the virgins shall make merry and dance, and young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will console and gladden them after their sorrows. (R) 

Gospel | Matthew 15:21-28

It is our faith, not our heritage, that leads us to salvation. We enter the door of salvation through our trust in Jesus Christ. Let us continually surrender our lives to Him, allowing His saving work to transform us. We cannot redeem ourselves—only Jesus can. May we remain humble, never assuming that salvation is possible without a true relationship with Him.

Gospel Acclamation

A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.

²¹ At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” ²³ But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” ²⁴ He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶ He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” ²⁸ Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 MACCABEES 11 - 12 today.

What Do We Really Need?

The faith of the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel is deeply inspiring because she recognizes her unworthiness. She knows her need—the healing of her daughter—and she does not demand much. Just a few healing words from Jesus will be sufficient. She will not be denied. She is going all out for what she wants and, given that it is really not for her but for her daughter, she wins the heart of Jesus and the healing words she wants to hear.

The Canaanite woman has a depth of faith we rarely see in the Gospels, and it is made all the more remarkable because she is not a Jew. The faith and trust she places in the power of Jesus to help her is amazing. We should draw inspiration from her faith. In fact, this is probably a good point of reflection for us—do we have the depth of faith of the Canaanite woman? If not, what are we going to do to grow in our faith?

The other point of reflection is the nature of her request—for the sake of her daughter’s life, and not really for herself. Yes, children are virtually considered a part or extension of their parents as they are so dependent on them for their welfare. However, this does not detract from the other-centeredness of her request. We can all learn from this—to seek not just our own fulfillment but also that of others when we make decisions in our lives. How often do we place our own needs in the background in order to focus on the needs of others? 

Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL 

reflection questions

How deep is your faith? How can you make it grow deeper?

Jesus, help me to be unselfish in the way I make choices for my life. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _____________________________