When God is Silent
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Wednesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Matthew 15: 21-28 - 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.
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“But He did not say a word in answer to her.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
What should we do when God is silent? It can be a terribly painful experience. And at times, this is how God chooses to respond to us. He remains silent. But just because God is silent doesn’t mean He isn’t listening. Look at today’s Gospel. Jesus hears this woman. However, He isn’t concerned with simply giving her, or us, a “quick fix.” Jesus could heal this woman’s daughter instantly, but instead He confronts her with the fact that, as a Canaanite, she is practicing the wrong religion. He doesn’t want only to fix her problem, He wants to fix her.
Jesus does end up answering the woman’s plea to Him, but along the way He makes her worthier of His gift. Jesus is concerned with our happiness, and He wants to answer our prayers as well. But our souls are more important than our difficult situations. He won’t immediately give us what we want if it will profit our souls to wait. Don’t be too upset when God says, “Wait.” What He’s really saying is, “Wait for something much, much better.”
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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