assumption: a year after
After that grand day last year, exactly a day from now, and after the scuffle that immediately followed it, which was never anyone’s idea of the fruit of a hundred years, I have to tell you frankly that I dreaded the coming of this day. For one I may be asked to say mass on this day and be forced to leave the security of standing on the sidelines during the scuffle. But as it is, and as it was before this, in all our annual gatherings, I always find myself with no reason believable enough to justify my absence. So now the day of dread has finally come upon me and I have nowhere else to turn to but the Lord. And so taking my cue from the Canaanite woman I now plunge myself on the feet of Jesus entreating him, Lord have mercy on me, my daughters are tormented by demons.(There is a footnote attached to this last statement and it says here, daughters should also include old boys as well, pro and con.)
I know there is still some uneasiness in most of us in talking about this, an uneasiness of which I am doubly burdened today, but I would like all of us to spend this time to listen to Jesus and let the events that transpired in his exchange with the Canaanite woman speak to us, to allow it to speak to what happened to us this past year.
Let us go through the passage then and let me begin by saying that one commentator on reading this passage said, “If this is the only passage I read about Jesus, I would never have believed in Jesus.” I fully agree, and my reaction to this passage in the gospel is exactly the same. I have been called suplado many times in the parishes I was assigned to, but I assure you I never came near the reaction of Jesus in front of a woman pleading for his help. How would I describe this attitude of Jesus then - I would dare say Jesus was so un-Christ-like. It was an un-Christ-like behavior.
All these exchange was triggered by what Jews in Jesus’ time would refer to as the triple loser - a woman, a foreigner and therefore unclean, and an ancient enemy of the Jews since the time of Joshua. In short, a Canaanite woman. Added to these three characteristics which are intolerable enough for a Jew and a rabbi at that, this woman screams, she was screaming scandalously in the middle of the crowd, so much so, that the disciples pleaded to Jesus to send her away, begging him to give in to whatever she asks so that she will stop screaming. Jesus, however, did not even bother to stop and look, much less to answer the woman. Instead he responded to his disciples’ request making sure that the woman overhears him, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Now that did not stop the woman, who instead found her way through the crowd and knelt before Jesus, however, and in a dramatic shift, the woman said in a low and tender voice, “Lord, help me. Now she finally got him standing there, unable to move, looking down on her who knelt before her. But Jesus would not budge and instead said what every courteous people should have known and would never say even at the height of their anger, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." He called her a dog, a D-O-G dog. Ok, the real meaning is not exactly dog but specifically a small dog, a puppy, a cuddly puppy which was permitted then to enter the house. But just the same, askal or house pet, she was referred to as a dog.
Here we have a Jesus so unlike the Jesus that we came to know of in the past, so unlike the person we expected him to be. This Jesus is no soft, warm, cuddly Messiah who is always there for everyone at all times. His response even suggests that Jesus is not always nice to everyone.
However, the woman was still undeterred despite the fact that she was stripped of her dignity and whatever pride she had left. Instead of sulking, however, with never a hint of surrender, she challenged the Lord further by saying, “That’s true Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.”
This response brings about one of the most surprising and inspiring moments in the ministry of Jesus. For the first time, Jesus changes his mind and his attitude toward her, and he relents. Matthew does not give us any indication whatsoever whether Jesus smiled at the cunning and word play of the woman. We don’t know how Jesus felt in losing an argument with this woman. What is clear, however, is that Jesus recognized the truth when he heard it. What is clear now is that Jesus had the capacity to be confronted by others. Jesus had the willingness to be forced to listen and he possessed the capacity to change his mind and actions when he hears the truth, so as to fulfil his mission of love more effectively. Jesus in a word offers us a unique and profound picture of what it means to live with an open heart. He gave us a profound picture of what it means to live with an open heart.
If there is one enemy of an open heart it is this: when we hold everything in absolute certainty. Six million Jews died with 3 million others followed because one man in Germany was absolutely certain about what he was doing. 9/11 happened together with all the countless victims of terrorism everywhere because there are those among us who are absolutely certain with their beliefs. The inquisition happened in the same vein. And Norway too had its own share of terror because of one person who believed he was absolutely certain with his logic.
Discernment is not primarily an exercise of certainty. It is an exercise of openness, the capacity to live with others, even to argue with others, with an open heart. (Do we find any semblance to our experience last year? Did we come to the debate with an open heart?)
In the end, why did the woman obtain what she wanted from Jesus? Why did she not stop in the middle of the scuffle? Why did she persist despite the insults, even when arguments became too personal and insulting? Why did she not end up bitter in this argument? Why? Because all throughout this exchange the woman did not stop calling Jesus, her “Lord”. In all the arguments she never took out of her mind that she was talking and arguing to her Lord. Lord have pity on me; Lord help me; Lord even dogs eat what falls from the master’s table. She kept saying Lord because she never forgot to whom she was talking to. For this she allowed Jesus the freedom to speak and act as the Lord. She was not offended, like I am, when Jesus calls her a dog. Maybe because she decided that before the Lord of the Universe we all are dogs, and that we are all dependent on free scraps from the table. She knew where she stood, she knew her position and from this position she had the temerity to fire back at Jesus, and Jesus was moved to give her request a second look. Things will always turn ugly when we lose this fundamental position of respect. (Do we find any semblance to our experience last year? Did we come to the debate always conscious that we stand in a position of respect?)
Last year’s encounter, just after the Great Jubilee of our alma mater, was not the best encounter, I admit. We all of have shown some way or the other our ugly sides. The encounter of Jesus and the Canaanite woman was not also the best of encounters. But Jesus permitted himself to be changed by that encounter. Can we also permit that encounter, however ugly, to change us?
Let me end this reflection by saying what we have said a year ago. We are Assumption, like Mary, like Marie Eugenie we defy gravity. We cannot be pulled down by animosity and ill-will. We cannot remain for long in a position of bitterness and malice towards each other. That is not what we were taught. Assumpta est is our song. This is our song, and we will sing it. This is our life and we will be challenged by it. We are assumption. Assumpta est is our song. We defy and we will defy the downward pull of gravity.
Let us go through the passage then and let me begin by saying that one commentator on reading this passage said, “If this is the only passage I read about Jesus, I would never have believed in Jesus.” I fully agree, and my reaction to this passage in the gospel is exactly the same. I have been called suplado many times in the parishes I was assigned to, but I assure you I never came near the reaction of Jesus in front of a woman pleading for his help. How would I describe this attitude of Jesus then - I would dare say Jesus was so un-Christ-like. It was an un-Christ-like behavior.
All these exchange was triggered by what Jews in Jesus’ time would refer to as the triple loser - a woman, a foreigner and therefore unclean, and an ancient enemy of the Jews since the time of Joshua. In short, a Canaanite woman. Added to these three characteristics which are intolerable enough for a Jew and a rabbi at that, this woman screams, she was screaming scandalously in the middle of the crowd, so much so, that the disciples pleaded to Jesus to send her away, begging him to give in to whatever she asks so that she will stop screaming. Jesus, however, did not even bother to stop and look, much less to answer the woman. Instead he responded to his disciples’ request making sure that the woman overhears him, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Now that did not stop the woman, who instead found her way through the crowd and knelt before Jesus, however, and in a dramatic shift, the woman said in a low and tender voice, “Lord, help me. Now she finally got him standing there, unable to move, looking down on her who knelt before her. But Jesus would not budge and instead said what every courteous people should have known and would never say even at the height of their anger, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." He called her a dog, a D-O-G dog. Ok, the real meaning is not exactly dog but specifically a small dog, a puppy, a cuddly puppy which was permitted then to enter the house. But just the same, askal or house pet, she was referred to as a dog.
Here we have a Jesus so unlike the Jesus that we came to know of in the past, so unlike the person we expected him to be. This Jesus is no soft, warm, cuddly Messiah who is always there for everyone at all times. His response even suggests that Jesus is not always nice to everyone.
However, the woman was still undeterred despite the fact that she was stripped of her dignity and whatever pride she had left. Instead of sulking, however, with never a hint of surrender, she challenged the Lord further by saying, “That’s true Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table.”
This response brings about one of the most surprising and inspiring moments in the ministry of Jesus. For the first time, Jesus changes his mind and his attitude toward her, and he relents. Matthew does not give us any indication whatsoever whether Jesus smiled at the cunning and word play of the woman. We don’t know how Jesus felt in losing an argument with this woman. What is clear, however, is that Jesus recognized the truth when he heard it. What is clear now is that Jesus had the capacity to be confronted by others. Jesus had the willingness to be forced to listen and he possessed the capacity to change his mind and actions when he hears the truth, so as to fulfil his mission of love more effectively. Jesus in a word offers us a unique and profound picture of what it means to live with an open heart. He gave us a profound picture of what it means to live with an open heart.
If there is one enemy of an open heart it is this: when we hold everything in absolute certainty. Six million Jews died with 3 million others followed because one man in Germany was absolutely certain about what he was doing. 9/11 happened together with all the countless victims of terrorism everywhere because there are those among us who are absolutely certain with their beliefs. The inquisition happened in the same vein. And Norway too had its own share of terror because of one person who believed he was absolutely certain with his logic.
Discernment is not primarily an exercise of certainty. It is an exercise of openness, the capacity to live with others, even to argue with others, with an open heart. (Do we find any semblance to our experience last year? Did we come to the debate with an open heart?)
In the end, why did the woman obtain what she wanted from Jesus? Why did she not stop in the middle of the scuffle? Why did she persist despite the insults, even when arguments became too personal and insulting? Why did she not end up bitter in this argument? Why? Because all throughout this exchange the woman did not stop calling Jesus, her “Lord”. In all the arguments she never took out of her mind that she was talking and arguing to her Lord. Lord have pity on me; Lord help me; Lord even dogs eat what falls from the master’s table. She kept saying Lord because she never forgot to whom she was talking to. For this she allowed Jesus the freedom to speak and act as the Lord. She was not offended, like I am, when Jesus calls her a dog. Maybe because she decided that before the Lord of the Universe we all are dogs, and that we are all dependent on free scraps from the table. She knew where she stood, she knew her position and from this position she had the temerity to fire back at Jesus, and Jesus was moved to give her request a second look. Things will always turn ugly when we lose this fundamental position of respect. (Do we find any semblance to our experience last year? Did we come to the debate always conscious that we stand in a position of respect?)
Last year’s encounter, just after the Great Jubilee of our alma mater, was not the best encounter, I admit. We all of have shown some way or the other our ugly sides. The encounter of Jesus and the Canaanite woman was not also the best of encounters. But Jesus permitted himself to be changed by that encounter. Can we also permit that encounter, however ugly, to change us?
Let me end this reflection by saying what we have said a year ago. We are Assumption, like Mary, like Marie Eugenie we defy gravity. We cannot be pulled down by animosity and ill-will. We cannot remain for long in a position of bitterness and malice towards each other. That is not what we were taught. Assumpta est is our song. This is our song, and we will sing it. This is our life and we will be challenged by it. We are assumption. Assumpta est is our song. We defy and we will defy the downward pull of gravity.
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