Yesterday was the feast of the Assumption of Mary, Mother of God. Now we read about a woman of great faith who persistently sought out Jesus to heal her daughter. What a great weekend of Scripture!
Mary believed the impossible. The Canaanite woman sought healing for her daughter but was put off since she was not from the house of Israel.
Both women powered through with prayer and great faith. Both were rewarded. How many women of great faith do I know who power through with prayer and hope? How many sacrifice their own needs and desires for a son, daughter or other family member? How many take up their cross without complaint or blame? These women give over and over – their strength to persevere for another is great. I am blessed to know many.
A great example of persistence is the Saints – Therese, Theresa, Elizabeth, Bridgett, Anne, Catherine, Faustina, Margaret, oh the list could go on and on. There are also those who I personally know – my mother, sisters, aunts, daughters and friends. New faces and familiar ones. Reminds me of a poem I used to have taped to my wall growing up:
Make new friends, but keep the old,
one is silver and the other gold.
I would guess it to be true that many women didn’t have great faith at some point in their life. They may have thought it came from their own abilities to be strong, intelligent and resourceful. But it is God’s gift to them. Jesus reminds us of this in his not granting her request immediately. He asks us to show how strongly we believe in him and his healing power. He wants us to have hope, to trust with true humility. I believe our heavenly Father wants all people to have great faith, but waits to answer them as they persevere; petitioning him and asking others to pray in intercessory prayer. Do I pray his answer will be according to what I want or what he wants? Do I persevere in prayer even when it gets hard, or silent; when distractions and temptations pull at me to be elsewhere? If I fail yet go to him in reconciliation and start again, it is in faithfulness I know his love will grant me even more faith that will pour forth and grow like the mustard seed.
MOTHER TERESA WASHINGTON, DC JUNE 10, 1995
Lord, take me to your will always, wanting what you want. Help me to order my day to be filled not only with the moments of this life, but to also be scattered with prayer so that I may also step into the heavenly realm of what life with you one will be like. Heal all my infirmities so that I may be fully present to you, physically and spiritually. Heighten my conscience so that sin pricks me immediately and I become most aware of how I have hurt you. Help me to be a woman of great faith and to live, light and lead others in this journey to you. Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Begin Discerning Direction 