2026/08/16 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

- Mike Nall, Project Manager

Some of the most powerful moments of faith are found not in certainty, but in perseverance. In this Sunday's Gospel, a Canaanite woman refuses to stop seeking the Lord despite every obstacle, even as the disciples urge Jesus, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." Her persistence ultimately becomes the very reason Jesus holds her up as an example of great faith. 

As a parent, I find myself drawn to this story. The Canaanite woman is a mother seeking help for her suffering daughter, and she is convinced that Jesus can provide it. She does not let silence discourage her or rejection stop her. She remains focused on the Lord and continues to ask for mercy. 

While doing some fall cleaning recently and getting ready for another school year, I came across an old award my daughter received at school. It was named for St. Thérèse of Lisieux and recognized her perseverance. Seeing it again reminded me how often growth comes through persistence rather than immediate success. We admire that quality in our children, and perhaps that is part of what Jesus sees in the Canaanite woman. She refuses to walk away because she trusts that Jesus hears her, even when it seems He is not responding. 

How often do we find ourselves in her place? We pray for healing, for direction, or for peace, and the answer does not come quickly. We can feel ignored or tempted to give up. Yet the Canaanite woman shows us another way. Faith is not only believing when God answers immediately. Faith is continuing to trust when the answer seems delayed. 

The Gospel also invites us to see ourselves in the disciples. Are there people we quietly dismiss, avoid, or assume do not belong? Are there voices we would rather not hear because they interrupt our routines or challenge our assumptions? 

Jesus sees what the disciples miss. He sees a woman with great faith. 

As we reflect on this Gospel, where in our lives is God inviting us to persevere? What prayer, relationship, or burden have we been tempted to abandon that the Lord may be asking us to bring to Him once again with the faith of the Canaanite woman?