Feast of St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, O'CARM (Edith Stein).
"At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
"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.”
"He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
"But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
"He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”
"She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
"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: 21 - 28).
Wednesday 9th August 2023 in the 18th Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Benedicta of the Cross. O'Carm. (1891 - 1942). Virgin & Martyr. Polish.
Teresa was born Edith Stein of Jewish parents and converted to the Church after reading the books of St Teresa of Avila.
Some years after her conversion to the Catholic Church, she followed St Teresa of Avila into the Carmelite Order.
Edith Stein was a well established philosopher in the universities in Germany. The Gestapo arrested her on August 2nd 1942 and sent her to Auschwitz where she died in the gas chambers on August 9th.
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 powers 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. Saints Catherine of Siena and Therese the Little Flower came to great faith at the age of six.
Some quotes on faith:
#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."
#3 Faith comes by hearing the personal word of God to you and saying a firm Amen to it.
#4 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.
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.
August is the Month dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Mary says: "In the end. My Immaculate Heart will triumph."
http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/06/immaculate-heart-of-mary-consecration.html?m=10
Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com
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