5th Week in Ordinary Time (Year A) : Thursday 8th February 2024

Away from the crowds in Gennesaret, Jesus enters Tyre, a Gentile territory. It is said that He went into a house, intending no one to know and to avoid the crowd as well. Perhaps to guard an elated crowd from triggering pagan authorities of His ministry, Jesus takes a safe approach to enter the town quietly.

However, a personal encounter between Jesus and a Syrophoenician woman takes place to show “mercy and truth indeed meet, faithfulness grows from the ground and deliverance looks down from heaven” (Ps 85: 10-11).

In the dialogue between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman, the facts and reality of that time are clearly talked out without reservation. The Jews feel superior while treating non Jews with demeaning labels. However, Jesus’ open interaction with the Syrophoenician woman, teaches us that any inhibiting prejudice fails to limit an honest dialogue that proves the human capacity for truth and compassion and humility.

True healing occurs in such an encounter. It even extends to liberate the next generation from anachronistic prejudice. And so, the Syrophonecian woman goes home happy and her child is well and freed from the clasp of prejudicial evil torment.

Today the Lord opens for us an invitation to profoundly see the facts of life from a banal human perspective with a more consoling insight of God’s unbiased love and compassion.

Dear Lord, help me to learn Your way of interacting with others.