God is incomparably Merciful.

Today's Gospel continues the Old Testament tradition of imploring God not to hide His face from us. First few words about this Old Testament tradition. It came from the custom of the eastern royal courts, in which the sentencing of a dignitary not to see the king's face expressed the highest level of anger of the king, sometimes simply the death penalty. We read in the Book of Esther that when Haman's face was covered so that he would not see the king's face, it meant that a death sentence was pronounced (Est 7:8).

When, in turn, King David allowed himself to be appeased and pardoned his son Absalom after his crime of fratricide, he allowed him to return to the royal court, with the proviso that Absalom was not allowed to see the king's face. For two years, Absalom was afraid to ask his father to revoke this punishment, because he knew that it would risk his wrath that could result in a death sentence (2 Sm 14).

Now the Old Testament man already knew that God is incomparably more merciful than a human king, and that our supplications to God to have mercy on us can never anger God. For this reason, in the Old Testament prayers are often offered that God will deign not to hide his face from us. People living in that culture must have considered it a great grace that they could come to God with their supplications without incurring God's wrath.

Today's Gospel clearly refers to that Old Testament tradition.

Suffice it to note that the Evangelist begins the account of the episode with the Syrophoenician woman with the information that Jesus "entered a house and wanted no one to know about it." The Canaanite woman broke through all obstacles, because Jesus hid his face from her and because he responded to her requests as if he did not want to be propitiated - and in this way she not only obtained what she asked for, but this difficult encounter with Jesus deepened her faith immensely.

Well, each of us can experience both. We can experience that the Lord Jesus hides his face from us. Sometimes we will also experience that we feel as if He does not want to hear our prayers. In both situations, it is worth observing and imitating the faith of the Syrophoenician woman.

“When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone” This is the end of today pericope, and here is the whole key to its interpretation. Let's listen to how this girl is referred to in verse 30. So far, we have terms: a daughter, dog, puppy. Not once until the 30th verse does the term either tekna (words tekna is reserved in the Old Testament for Jews as children of God) or pais (in the Old Testament in the Septuagint the term pais is sometimes used for children in general) appear in relation to this child. And it is only in the last verse that the Greek term pais appears, meaning all children, but also children of God in the Septuagint. For the first time in the Gospel of Mark, the term child, also in the sense of a child of God, is used to refer to a pagan woman. From that moment on, pagans too are included in the sphere of Jesus' activity. Thanks to this Syro-Phoenician, we too, as a former pagan people, can be Christians.

Thought from Saint Faustina: Oh, how great is Your beauty, Jesus my Spouse! Living Flower enclosing life-giving dew for a thirsting soul! My soul is drowned in You. You alone are the object of my desires and strivings. United me as closely as possible to Yourself, to the Father, and to the Holy Spirit. Let me live and die in You. (Diary 501)

Until Tomorrow

fr. george