36th Sunday after Pentecost
Matthew 15:21-28; 1 Corinthians 6:16-7:1
In today’s Gospel, we see Jesus entering Canaanite territory with His disciples and a Canaanite woman comes out to meet Him. The way the Canaanite woman approaches Christ is deeply significant. The Fathers interpret her journey out of her own land in search of Jesus as symbolizing the Holy Church leaving behind former errors and sins. Similarly, Catholics do not simply “come as we are” to Liturgy on Sunday. Instead, we are called to leave our sins behind—in confession—so that we can fully enter into divine worship. Like the Canaanite woman, we ought to approach God in humility, begging for His love and mercy.
St. Jerome urges us to particularly imitate the faith, patience, and humility of the Canaanite woman. Her faith is evident in her unwavering belief that Jesus is God and can heal her daughter. Her patience is evident by her perseverance, even after Jesus initially refuses to answer her and likens her to a dog, unworthy of His blessings. Yet, her humility is perhaps the most striking. She does not ‘defend her dignity’ but instead lowers herself further, comparing herself to a puppy seeking scraps from the Master’s table. She acknowledges her unworthiness but still pleads for the Lord’s mercy.
In St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he exhorts the faithful to remain chaste, warning that it is gravely sinful for those who have become temples of the Holy Spirit to defile their bodies. Christians, united to Christ through baptism and Eucharistic communion, have been redeemed by His blood. Thus, sins against chastity not only harm oneself but also defile our mystical union with Christ and His Church. For those called to sacramental marriage, these sins also violate the exclusive rights and indissoluble unity with one’s spouse (or future spouse for those who are still single).
When St. Paul says, “Avoid fornication!” he means all sins against chastity, including adultery, sodomy, prostitution, pornography, and self-defilement. Again, these sins are not merely offenses against God but also against one’s own body, which is meant to glorify Him. As St. Paul urges, we must “Glorify God in our body” by fleeing lust and cultivating purity, the virtue that enables us to control our bodies in holiness and honor (cf. 1 Thess 4:4). Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God (Matt 5:8)!
While the prevalence of smartphones and the internet has made purity particularly challenging, especially for our youth, it has never been an easy virtue to master. The Fathers teach that our lustful passions are so powerful that prayer alone is often insufficient to resist them. Instead, they advocate fleeing temptation entirely. Jesus Himself used hyperbole to make this point, saying, “If your right eye or right hand causes you to sin, pluck it out or cut it off.” While the Church does not recommend drastic measures like Origen’s self-mutilation, it does emphasize the need for vigilance. For those struggling with chastity, practical steps are essential. When tempted, one ought to literally flee the source of temptation. Going for a long walk without your smartphone, for example, is a great way to calm the passions and remember the noble life for which Our Lord has called us.
Brothers and sisters, let us be like the Canaanite woman. Let us desire healing and unity with God above all else; let us flee from error and sin and persevere in prayer; let us humbly beg Our Lord Jesus Christ for His mercy, with unwavering faith, and trust in His loving plan for us. All glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen.