Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Readings for the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time[1]
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible

Commentary:

This post is incomplete – no internet limited resources

Reading 1 Isaiah 56:1, 6-7

This passage is part of what scholars call the “Post Exilic Torah” or the law after the return. In this selection we see that foreigners (those living outside Palestine) are offered member ship in the faith community. The other important element is the temple is given the name “a house of prayer”. This passage was quoted by Jesus as he drove the money changers from the temple (see Mark 11:17 and Matthew 21:13).

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 67:2-3,5-6, 8

Psalm is a song of thanksgiving. These strophes request a blessing, that through the Lord’s graciousness the nation might be an example of faith others will follow.

Reading II Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
(Raw Biblical Text)

13 Now I am speaking to you gentiles. Inasmuch 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 [i]For the gifts of the call of God are irrevocable.

30 [ii]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.

Gospel Matthew 15:21-28
(Raw Biblical Text)

21 [iii] [iv]Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold a Canaanite woman 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 [v]He said in reply “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 [vi]But the woman came and did him homage saying, “Lord help me.” 26 [vii]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 [viii] [ix]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.

Reflection:

The Church welcomes all people seeking Christ. We need to do the same.

Pax
[1] After Links Expire
[i] See Romans 9:6, Numbers 23:19, and Isaiah 54:10
[ii] Romans 11:30-32 Israel together with the Gentiles who have been handed over to all manner of vices (ch 1), has been delivered … to disobedience. The conclusion of v32 completes the thought Romans 5:20 “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.”
[iii] See Mark 7:24-30
[iv] Matthew 15:21-28 This story comes from Q (see Luke 7:1-10) and is also reflected in John 4:46-54 the similarity between the Q story and the Johannine is due to a common oral tradition, not a common literary source. Jesus here breaks his usual procedure of ministering only to Israelites and anticipates the mission to the gentiles.
[v] Matthew 15:24 Like Jesus, the twelve are sent only to Israel. This saying may reflect an original Jewish Christian refusal of the mission to the Gentiles, but for Matthew it expresses rather the limitation that Jesus himself observed during his ministry.
[vi] See Matthew 10:6
[vii] Matthew 15:26 The children: the people of Israel. Dogs (and swine): were Jewish words of contempt for Gentiles. This saying may originally have derived from a Jewish Christian community opposed to preaching the Gospel (what is holy, pearls) to Gentiles. In the light of Matthew 28:19 that can hardly be Matthew’s meaning. He may have taken the saying as applying to a Christian dealing with an obstinately impatient fellow Christian (Matthew 18:7).
[viii] See Matthew 8:10
[ix] Matthew 15:28 As in the case of the cure of the Centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:10), Matthew ascribes Jesus’ granting the request to the woman’s great faith, a point not made equally explicit in the Marcan parallel (Mark 7:24-30).