“But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.’” – Matthew 15:25
Can you hear the humility and desperation in the Canaanite woman’s voice? “Lord, help me.” These days such a statement is counter-cultural. It’s almost taboo to admit that we need help from others, much less that we rely upon a Higher Authority. Modern society prefers to believe the relativistic humanist fallacy that we decide our identity for ourselves and can be self-sufficient through our own reasoning ability.
The truth is that we are constantly in need of God. Our identity is rooted in Him. Without Him, we are nothing. And, that’s okay. It’s how we were made. Jesus even said, “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5). Only by reclaiming this attitude of dependence and recognizing our need for God can we recover our noble identity as His sons and daughters.
Over and over again, Scripture encourages us not to fear. God is incomparably gracious and “abounding in mercy” (Ps. 145:8). Though we might worry about begging God for too many things, it is more likely that we underestimate His love and do not seek His help often enough. God does not hesitate to answer our pleas for help, though He may do so in unexpected ways.
That being said, it is important to recognize that God does not operate in a vacuum. He likes to manifest His saving power through the cooperation of His creatures. Just as God worked wonders through Noah and Abraham, Moses and Mary, He has chosen you and me to be the answer to others’ prayers. He has called us to be his hands and feet. He has commanded us to love one another.
There are many desperate souls in our world today crying, “Lord, help me!” Do you hear them? Perhaps they’re the voices of your family or friends. Perhaps they’re the voices of your neighbors. Perhaps they’re the voices of children like those whom CARITAS serves in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, or Africa.
You can be the answer to their prayers. Unlike the disciples in today’s Gospel, who responded to the desperate Canaanite woman by asking Jesus to send her away, let us ask Jesus to make us instruments of His love.
Lord God, hear our prayer. We need your help. Bring us to a deeper understanding of our dependence upon you, so that we may come to know you more fully as you are. Make us instruments of your love and mercy for the many lost and suffering souls who yearn for your salvation. Give us generous hearts that are willing to love one another. Amen.
