WEEKLY REFLECTION 
Each of today’s Scripture Readings speaks of the universal nature of God’s salvation. It is not limited to the Jews only, His chosen people, but also extends to the gentiles & foreigners. God is the God of all nations, and He moves the fence to include all people. 

The Gospel Reading of today From St. Matthew provides yet another insight into the universality of God’s offer of salvation. Here, we have an account of Jesus and the Canaanite woman, which is one of the very rare encounters of Jesus with the Gentiles.

Jesus was approached by a Canaanite woman abounded in love for her daughter who was tormented by a demon. She pleaded her case with him. Her persistence and astuteness are rewarded by Jesus. Clearly, this event signals the inauguration of a new era, a new covenant of grace based on faith in Jesus rather than adherence to the Law. The act of healing in the gospels is always a sign that the Messianic era has been inaugurated in the person of Jesus. So, the healing of the Canaanite woman proclaims that the era of the Messiah has finally dawned in Jesus, with the full implications of a prophetic word that offered salvation indiscriminately to all. 

Now, we are the followers of Christ, and we believe in our salvation through Jesus Christ. What is our view regarding salvation of others? Is there salvation outside the Church? All the three Scripture Readings of today tell us that God intends salvation to be available for all persons. It is a truth of the Catholic faith that Jesus Christ, as God made man, offers through his teaching and through his death and resurrection the way to salvation for all peoples.  

Though limited in historical time, his teaching, life, death, and resurrection have a universal effectiveness and application. He moves the fence and includes all and invites us to do the same. He does not make distinction based on ethnicity, religion, gender, social class, or economic standing. What really matters is believing in Him and obeying His commandments. These are the criteria by which we will be judged. The joy of the Kingdom of Heaven.