Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time: The Power of Persistent Faith
Readings and Virtual Homily for August 16, 2026, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time; Another Milestone at San Gabriel Media; Already in Love...With the Class of 2029
Readings for Mass this Sunday:
Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Psalm 67:2-3, 5-6, 8
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28
Dear Friends and Family,
This weekend's Gospel passage is that of the Syro-Phoenician woman whose daughter was being harassed by a demon, and who insistently requested of Jesus that he heal her. It is a passage that tells us a lot about the power of faith.
A little background here. Matthew tells us that this encounter takes place in "the region of Tyre and Sidon" (vs. 21). Tyre and Sidon were two of several wealthy Phoenician cities along the coast of what is today Lebanon (immediately north of Israel). This stretch of Mediterranean coastline is even today (despite fifty years of Lebanese political instability) inviting real estate. Sunny and subtropical, with a year-round growing season, scenic views from the coastal hills and long stretches of bright, cream-sand beach. It seems likely that Jesus was trying to take a little seaside vacation with some of the guys there in breezy Phoenicia when here comes this woman with her insistence that Jesus can and must cure her daughter.
It goes without saying that the Syro-Phoenician woman is not Jewish. Clearly she is a woman of faith, though, a woman who believes in the reality of the spiritual realm, including its demonic inhabitants. She believes as well in the spiritual power of Jesus of Nazareth, whose fame had by this time spread well beyond Israel's borders. As much as she believes in Jesus' miraculous abilities, she believes in his goodness. She believes he will heal her daughter not just because he can do it but because, given his goodness, he will want to do it.
Jesus ignores the woman, Matthew tells us, and the disciples tell her repeatedly to go away -- it would appear they want the Master to get his little Phoenician holiday and its concomitant R&R. When Jesus does respond to the woman he reasons with her that he has come for his own people, the Jews, going so far as to tell her that it is not right to give the food of the children to the dogs (vss. 23-26). The woman's response to what can only be called this insult is remarkable: "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their master's table" (vs. 27).
My own reading of this passage has always been that Jesus knew the woman's faith. That he wanted to use the depth of her faith to impress upon the disciples the power of faith and the power of persisting in faith. To some extent, of course, the two might be conflated -- it is a powerful faith, a deep faith, which is capable of persistence. At the same time, it is also true that faith is not a static quality; it can be deepened, it can be strengthened, it can increase. And trials which require our persistence in faith are exactly the sort of thing which can and often do increase our faith.
Myself, I really admire the Syro-Phoenician woman. She knows the justice of her cause. She knows both the power and the goodness of Jesus. She will not take no for an answer. She is not intimidated by the disciples and she holds steady even in what initially appears to be a firm no from Jesus himself. In the end, of course, Jesus shows his admiration of her: "Oh woman, great is your faith..." (vs. 28) and assures her that her request is granted. Matthew tells us that at that moment, the woman's daughter (who does not appear to be present) was healed (vs. 28). This fact suggests that the disciples had further contact with the woman; she may have become a disciple herself.
So, not to belabor the point, but just to make sure that I am making it, a couple of take-aways here. One, persistence pays. Jesus has assured us of this in other places (the parable of the persistent widow, as just one example; Luke 18:1-8). Two, you need not be someone in the "right" religion to have a faith that pleases God. This understanding was articulated by the Second Vatican Council in its document Nostra Aetate, which affirmed that rays of light and aspects of truth emanate from the non-Christian religions and that the Church recognizes this reality and celebrates it -- the Church is pleased to acknowledge truth wherever she finds it. And many truths may be found in the teachings of the world's other great religions.
Not any part of this, of course, denying the central role in the salvation of the race played by Jesus Christ. It is simply that the Spirit is free to operate outside the normal channels of grace, which the Church defines as the sacraments, the prayers, teachings and apostolates of the Catholic Church in particular and of the Christian faith in general.
I mentioned an e-mail or two back that things are all smooth sailing this summer at San Gabriel Media -- new books soon to be in print, new videos being posted at the YouTube channel, a plan (for the first time ever) now being developed to start marketing my books...I neglected to mention in that summary that the apostolate recently passed another milestone, at YouTube. One of my colleagues who is very involved in the development of the YouTube aspect of the ministry told me two or three weeks ago that we had hit one and one-half million subscribers. I think I shrugged. Then, realizing that something more -- well, demonstrative and celebratory -- was in order, I think I said something like, "Awesome. Let's head for two million, and then for two and one half..."
I'm just sayin'....This is the Gospel. The potential audience is uncountable. I am very pleased with our expanding YouTube audience. It is only one aspect of a very multi-faceted media apostolate. We are in the queue for the runway, in terms of our possible reach, in terms of achieving our potential. Especially considering how much time we spent parked at the gate -- this set of developments is, in fact, way cool. God be praised. And let's keep working.
Finally, we started classes this week at O'Dowd. I have three sections of sophomores. Our subject is Scripture. I am loving my time with my sophomores already. A colleague on campus today smiled and suggested to me that I have yet to meet the sophomore Scripture section that I did not love -- and actually, I am gonna plead guilty to that charge. But...
The Class of 2029 deeply engaged me last spring, before I had taught any of them. And now, after just a couple of classes with each section, I am delighted to report that my classes this week have delighted me. As I say, I felt a special bond with this class last spring, before I really had any chance to get to know them. That sense, that intuition, has been abundantly confirmed just this first week of the new semester. My sophomores are bright, joyful, eager, fun, engaged. Talking with a colleague who is also teaching sophomores in other sections of this same course, she and I agreed: This looks like one great year ahead.
Happy to be able to report it.
Hope the summer is treating you well.
Take care and God bless.
Love,
Fr. Brawn