The Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major.

"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." (Matthew 15: 28).

Wednesday 5th August 2020, 18th Week in Ordinary Time is the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary Major. This Basilica was dedicated after the definition of the Dogma of Mary as the Mother of God in the Council of Ephesus in 430. The great Church was later renamed as St Mary Major.

The Blessed Virgin Mary said to the Angel Gabriel: "Let it be done to me according to your word." And the Word became Flesh in her womb. With this, Mary is acclaimed our great example of Faith. In our key Scripture for today, Jesus said to the Canaanite woman: “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour." (Matthew 15: 28).

What is faith? Before the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel, Mary knew God as Almighty, All-knowing, All-powerful, All-loving, All-merciful, etc. Her profound personal knowledge of God is the foundation of her faith.
The Canaanite woman is a believer who was searching desperately for a miraculous healing for her child. She heard about Jesus from a friend or a neighbor. She believed immediately what she heard about the miraculous power of Jesus. She packed her bag and went in search of Jesus. Her strong faith and expectations created resilience in her. She was prepared to be rebuffed by Jesus and was determined to have her miracle.

The Bible praises faith as one of the greatest gifts of God and a profound mystery. A little child is capable of great faith as a very old woman. Some of my favorite Scriptures on faith are:

#1 "The just shall live by faith." We live by faith and not by sight or feeling. Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, we live by the word of God that cannot fail.
#2 "We are saved by grace through faith." God's grace is abundant to save us and fulfill the desires of our heart but you must accept the word you receive in faith.
#3 Faith comes by hearing the personal word of God to you and saying a firm Amen to it.

The 11th Chapter of Hebrews is the list of some of the most important people in the Bible. They all achieved fame and greatness through their faith.

You too can overcome every challenge through faith. Two great tools to help develop your faith:

#1 Daily consumption of the word of God.
#2 Daily conversation with God through prayer.

Since you know this, you will be blessed if you do it.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com