“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" Jesus asks his disciples. Talk about a tough question. The Good News for us, however, is that we know the answer. And why? Because we have been taught. As the summer draws to a close, perhaps we can take a quiet moment to thank those who have taught us the faith, even if our precious teachers have passed to eternal life. They can pray and teach us even from there: that’s what it means to be a saint!
In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus is confronted by the limitations of his society, his culture, and his faith: He is not supposed to engage a woman in conversation, and no less a Canaanite woman. Yet due to her persistence, Jesus responds with incredible results. The lesson seems clear: the world’s limitations do not limit God’s abundance!