Florida Catholic | Sunday Word

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

A house of prayer for all peoples

August 17, 2008 :: Is 56:1, 6-7; Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Rom 11:13-15, 29-32; Mt 15:21-28

SISTER SALLIE LATKOVICH | SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA CATHOLIC

It seems as if contention over differences is part of the human condition. A good illustration of this can be found in “The Butter Battle Book” by Dr. Seuss. Two groups of people, the Yooks and the Zooks are divided by a wall and try to attack each other in more and more devastating ways simply because of which side they prefer to butter their toast!

Bigger things were at stake in the early church, among the earliest followers of Jesus. Who belonged? Who didn’t? The Scriptures we are given to hear today address this question.

The fundamental truth is spoken by the Lord in the first reading from Isaiah: Those who observe what is right and do what is just, those who join themselves to the Lord, loving God’s name and becoming God’s servants, who keep the Sabbath and hold to the covenant – all these belong to God. “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Addressing the Romans, Paul longs for a oneness between Jews and gentiles. And he knows that such oneness can only come about by the mercy of God. It is interesting to note that here in the Diocese of Venice, our Bishop Emeritus John Nevins had on his coat of arms: “To serve with mercy.” During his leadership, he forged a particular friendship with the Jewish community in our area. He took Paul’s hope and reliance on God’s mercy as his own.

Finally, the “house of prayer for all people” is not only inclusive of Jews and gentiles, but of women and Canaanites as well. The woman of the Gospel calls out, “Have pity on me.” This recalls Psalm 109:26 and the pleas of the blind men of Matthew’s Gospel (9:27, 20:30) and the father of the boy with epilepsy (17:15). The woman is relying on God’s mercy.

Jesus’ response may allude to Isaiah 56:10 where those who are blind and without knowledge are like “dumb dogs.” The woman’s response displays her great and tenacious faith, recognized by Jesus: “Oh woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you wish.”

Indeed, God’s house is a house of prayer for all peoples. We may even hear echoes of John’s Gospel, where Jesus prays that all may be one. Or echoes of Galatians 3:27-28: All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Sister Sallie Latkovich, Sisters of St. Joseph, is an assistant professor at the Blessed Edmund Rice School of Pastoral Ministry in the Diocese of Venice, a part of Barry University of Miami.

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