“O SAVIOR, GREAT IS THY GRACE”
Saint Matthew 15: 21-28
Reminiscere: 25 February Anno Domini 2018
Father Jay Watson SSP
And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. The “her” is Holy Mother Church, the very Bride of Christ. The hour is the day of your salvation. The day of the cleansing + font is the day of your deliverance from being grievously vexed with the devil. The day of your absolution by hearing The Savior’s Word “be it unto thee” is also the day of victory for you. And yes, receiving His precious Body and most Holy Blood, not the crumbs which fall from your Master’s Table, but he feast of fine things, rich wines, roasted lambs, that is, The God/Man Himself and all His fruit from the everlasting Tree of Life! The daughter is the Church because Jesus is The Groom. He and His Mystical Bride are one flesh. He bids His children to call His Father their Father. Those that are borne from the womb of Holy Baptism are indeed children of The Heavenly Father. In this sacramental way of talking about the mysterious metaphors of Holy language…yes…Jesus is both our Groom and our Brother.
Is that what Saint Matthew is telling us? No, and yes. The Evangelist records the beautiful event of the historical exorcism of a young girl. If you are demon possessed it would be Grace beyond measure to have the Nazarene come and drive the infernal imp back to it’s cave. Heck, if you had ALS, Cancer, Heart Disease, or other catastrophic illnesses it would be Grace beyond measure to have The Lord come and relieve you of that scourge. Such is not the usual “turn of events” though we pray nonetheless for miracles all the time.
Sin is what causes decay, aging, and all diseases. Sin is what causes you to daily trespass. Sin is inherited by us all and cannot be dealt with in any normal, scientific, rational, or medical way. You can’t get things the way you want them by force of your will, your hard work, or just pushing and pushing and pushing…because that’s the “way you want it.” The only solution to sin, and all the pain that it causes you, is Grace. Not Grace in an abstract way but Grace in the face of the God/Man Christ Jesus.
The Grace of God in the face of The Christ liberates and gives peace. The face then was a visible, locally present face that spoke Words of Peace and loosing. The face now is mediated in The Holy Scriptures preached, taught, and Gospelled in absolution, as well as the Sacraments applied with that same Word of forgiveness and life.
The woman’s daughter was saved, but not by the mother’s faith…if by faith one means the willful action of intentionally and forcefully and really-really believing hard (the Cowardly Lion: “I do, I do, I do”). Faith is a gift placed in ones hand (i.e. one’s heart and soul) by The Holy Ghost. The gift is Jesus, His Person and Work. That was the “faith” that the mother and daughter had been blessed with. Jesus in them, Jesus with them, Jesus for them. That is Grace my friends. Jesus has the same mercy on you.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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