This weekend we celebrate the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The readings ask us to consider the openness and boundlessness of God’s love and compare it to the ungenerous and restricted nature of our own love and concern for others. The obvious questions that come to mind are: How well do I reflect God’s universal love for all? How well do I connect with those who are different from me and my immediate circle of family and friends in some respect (nationality, religious faith, language, etc.?

First Reading: Isaiah 56: 1, 6-7

1 Thus says the LORD:
Observe what is right, do what is just;
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.

6 And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, Loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants–
All who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,

7 Them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
Their holocausts and sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
For my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.

NOTES on First Reading:

*56:1-7 This section of Isaiah promises a share in the coming messianic salvation to all who believe in the Lord and keep His commandments regardless of origin or social condition and status.

* 56:2-3 Foreigners and eunuchs were among those who were originally excluded from the community of the Lord and thought to be excluded from the messianic banquet. Trito-Isaiah follows the universalist ideas expressed in Ruth and Jonah rather than the much narrower view expressed in Ezra chapters 9-10 and in Obadiah. Trito-Isaiah (that is Third Isaiah, Chapters 56-66) urges the readmission of eunuchs to the company of God’s people. See Wisdom 3:14.

* 56:5 The words translated here as “monument and name” are literally “hand and name” as in 1 Sam 15:12.

* 56:6 Not being of the tribe of Levi, foreigners were, of course excluded from Temple ministry. Here the Lord seems to be allowing a broader participation in ministry than was permitted under the rules of the Sinai covenant.

Second Reading: Romans 11: 13-15, 29-32

13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry 14 in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
29 For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
30 Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may (now) receive mercy. 32 For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.

NOTES on Second Reading:

* 11:13-15 Paul addresses the Gentiles as God#39;s particular ambassador to them which he sees as a special grace through Christ. Paul, although deeply concerned for the spiritual well-being of the Gentiles, still identifies with and loves his own people, the Jews. He insists that the Gentiles are not to look down upon the Jews who have refused to believe but rather that just as the rejection of Jesus has led to the Gentile#39;s reception of Christ#39;s word so the ministry to the Gentiles may spur the Jews to belief. He foresees a dramatic effect resulting from the Jewish final acceptance of Christ although he knows not how it will be affected.

* 11:29 Here Paul looks at the relationship between the Jewish people and God and what it may mean to the Gentiles. He begins by reminding the readers that God is not fickle. He does not change His mind with every new thought. When God made the Jews His chosen people he did so for all time. Even though the people broke the covenant and were unfaithful, God must always remain faithful to His covenant and His promises.

* 11:30-32 The Jewish view of Gentiles was that they were guilty of disobedience in that they did not believe in the God of Israel. Paul sees the Jews as being guilty of the same sort of disobedience in refusing to believe in Jesus. The Gentiles were afforded the opportunity to believe by the Jewish failure to do so. Thus God forgives both the Jew and the Gentile of the same disobedience and pours out His mercy on all for all have been guilty.

Gospel Reading: Matthew 15: 21-28

21 Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” 23 But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” 24 He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” 28 Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

NOTES on Gospel Reading:

* 15:21-28 A parallel of this story is found in Mark 7:24-30. Mark#39;s version has a little less emphasis on the dialogue and a little more emphasis on the miracle itself.

* 15:22 Matthew calls the woman a “Canaanite” which is an archaic biblical term instead of using Mark#39;s more familiar (at the time) term, “Syrophoenician.” Perhaps Matthew wishes to establish a connection with Mt 1:5. In any case she has two strikes against her to begin with; she is a woman alone in a man#39;s world and she is a Gentile and therefore unclean in the eyes of the Jews among whom she lives. In spite of her being an outsider, she recognizes Jesus and with extraordinary faith calls Him by a Messianic title (Son of David).

* 15:23 Jesus#39; silence is explained in the next verse where He does not wish to exceed His Divine mission.

* 15:24 This verse expresses the traditional perspective of Jesus#39; mission and the policy of Jesus during His ministry although He allows numerous exceptions. His mission was seen as the gathering of all Israel in preparation for the end time events in contrast to Mt 28:19. See also Mt 23:37-39 and Luke 13:34-35.

* 15:25 Matthew uses the same word for Lord in the woman#39;s address to Jesus that the Septuagint (ancient Greek translation of Old Testament) uses for God.

* 15:26 Matthew makes the response by Jesus even harsher than it is in Mark by removing the softening statement in Mark 7:27. This may be the result of a (then recent) past church history of evangelization to the Jews first and then the Gentiles. See Rom 1:16.

Jews of that time often used the words, dog and swine, as terms of contempt for Gentiles. Later the same words were applied by early Christians to an obstinately impenitent fellow Christian. Here Jesus softens the traditional language a little by using a diminutive form of the word for dog that actually refers to a puppy dog or a pet dog.

* 15:27 The woman seizes the image used by Jesus and quickly turns it to her advantage.

* 15:28 The woman#39;s humility, wit, good humor and, above all, her extraordinary faith cause Jesus to grant her request so that her daughter is delivered. Here, the woman’s faith breaks down the centuries old barrier between Jew and Gentile. In Matthew#39;s Gospel she is the only one who is said to have great faith.

Matthew is much more clear about the role of faith in Jesus#39; granting her request than is the parallel version in Mark.

Scripture text: New American Bible with revised New Testament copyright © 1986,1970, Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.
Commentary Sources:
Vince Del Greco
The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990) (Eds. Brown, Fitzmyer & Murphy)