ICON OF THE CANAANITE WOMAN
17TH SUNDAY OF ST. MATTHEW
SUNDAY OF THE CANAANITE WOMAN
TRANSLATION OF THE RELICS OF ST. IGNATIUS THE GODBEARER
jANUARY 29, 2012
In the Orthodox Church the Lenten Triodian is a preparation for the period of Lent. The last Sunday before the start of the Triodion, the Orthodox Church reads the gospel of the Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15:21-28). The encounter of the Canaanite woman with our Lord helps us to psychologically and spiritually prepare for the coming of Lent.
The Canaanite woman came to Jesus crying, "Have pity upon me Son of David!" It is the only occasion on which Jesus was ever outside of Jewish territory: the land of Tyre and Sidon north of Galilee where the hated Phoenicians, the enemies of the Jews, lived. What is implied here? Did it foreshadow the spread of the gospel to the whole world? Was it the beginning of the end of the geographical barrier to His message? Could it be that even enemies should have the gospel of Christ proclaimed to them?
The Apostles reacted to the woman with irritation. She was a nuisance. They wanted to be rid of her -- the sooner the better. Even the response of Jesus seems inexplicable at first After she pled for help in curing her daughter's possession by a demon, Jesus replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread, and to throw it to the pet dogs," -- hardly a comforting response given that calling a person a "dog" was an insult with the most contemptuous intent.
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