Does God ignore or act a bit rough with you? Jesus crosses the border into the pagan region of Tyre and Sidon, the territory long outside the covenant. There, a Canaanite woman calls out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David.” At first, he is silent. Then he rebuffs her. “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” But the Church Fathers saw this not as an insult but as an initiation. Christ draws out of her heart a deeper faith.
She presses on. “Please, Lord, even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Jesus’ silence and response solidify her humility and trust. She thus becomes a model for prayer for centuries of Christians. St. Augustine said she shows how sinners come to grace by moving from silence to humility to perseverance.
This woman is the Church. She is you and me. She is every soul who dares to cry out from the margins, who endures divine silence until it turns to compassion. When Jesus says, “O woman, great is your faith,” it is the joyful cry of God discovering faith where the world least expects it. Even the smallest crumb of Your mercy, Lord, is enough to heal the soul. Do we have the courage to show faith like that?
— Father John Muir
©LPi
General Mass Notes
Welcome
Good afternoon and welcome to St. Joseph,
As we begin our liturgy, we would like to extend a special welcome to everyone visiting our parish for the first time. We also warmly welcome all of you who are here today. We are so grateful and blessed to have you with us. As we settle in and prepare our hearts for Mass, please take a moment to make sure your cell phones are turned off so as not to disturb our prayer.
(Wait a few seconds to allow people to turn off their phones)
Let us now take a moment to prepare for Mass and open our hearts and minds to the message we will hear today. The intentions of this Mass are for all those in our special intention basket and for…
Please stand and greet those beside you.
Mass Intentions
Universal Prayer (Petitions)
A. For the Church, that we may reach out with the good news of the gospel to all peoples in a spirit of love, generosity, and humility, let us pray to the Lord.
B. That leaders around the world may strive to serve all the peoples of their nations, ensuring that those with historically less power are treated as well as all others, let us pray to the Lord.
C. For people of all religions in the Holy Land, that they may enjoy the freedom to worship freely and live in peace, let us pray to the Lord.
D. For all those who have asked us to remember them in our prayers, and for those who have no one to pray for them, let us pray to the Lord.
E. That our faith may be strengthened to the extent of the Canaanite woman’s faith, so that we may be confident that our deepest needs will be fulfilled, let us pray to the Lord.
F. For all the prayers that we hold in the silence of our hearts; for all our intentions spoken and unspoken, and for (read all intentions from 1st page), let us pray to the Lord.
Announcements
This weekend, we have a second collection for the National Combined Fund. This fund brings together several important causes that serve people and ministries across the United States. Through one act of generosity, you can support the Church’s mission in rural dioceses, promote Catholic communications, strengthen cultural ministries, care for aging religious, and more.
First Communion and confirmation registration will take place this upcoming Saturday, August 22 from 10am to 2pm in the Youth Center.
