It is time to see the "other" as our "sister and brother"

XX Sunday “A” 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 Jesus did not say a word in answer to her. Jesus' 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 Jesus 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 the woman's daughter was healed from that hour.

This is a tough reading. It is difficult to hear. A woman comes up to Jesus and he just ignores her. The disciples go up to Jesus and say, “get rid of her.” And Jesus reply is that he is only going to help his own kind. To which the woman replies, “Lord, help me.” She is asking for help for her daughter, not for herself. You can imagine the anguish in her face. Her daughter is tormented by a demon. And how does Jesus reply to this direct call for mercy? “I’m not going take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” Now people have explained this gospel saying, he doesn’t mean dogs like the mangy ones lying in the plaza de Armas, he means the cute little puppies that kids hold in their arms and sleep with at night. Other people have said that he was merely testing her to see if she had faith. Regardless, I think that Jesus’ words are harsh. It is rude that he doesn’t answer at first and then when he calls her a dog… well that goes beyond the pale. But this is where the key phrase comes. The woman who was just insulted responds. “Please Lord” This was the key moment. At that moment Jesus no longer saw her as a foreigner and a pagan. Jesus saw her as a woman, a mother, a human being. It is important to understand the context of the reading. This woman was a foreigner, and a pagan. Jesus’ reaction was the reaction of any good jewish person in the situation. To ignore the person, to not enter into any kind of conversation with them. Jesus didn’t want to debate with this woman he simply wanted to continue to preach the Good News to his own people. He probably figured, why is this woman bothering me anyway. She probably doesn’t believe in me anyway she just wants to get something out of me. So when he continues his conversation with her he continues along this vien. I am not here for you. There is enough need among my own people, go to your own ministers and healers. Let them take care of your daughter. But the woman insists, she uses Jesus’ image to her advantage. She doesn’t argue with Jesus, she asks that at least the crumbs be given to her daughter. It was at this moment that Jesus ceased to see her as stereotype. She was no longer a foreign pagan but a mother and a woman of faith, he answered her prayer and he cured her daughter. In my own time of ministry I have seen countless examples of people who deal with the “other” as a stereotype. They prejudge them and decide that they are all a certain way and they write them off as Jesus seemed to write off the Cananite woman in today’s Gospel. I have worked countless years in the United States, primarily with migrants the majority coming from Mexico. Unfortunately I have heard many racist and stereotypical remarks about immigrants in the United States. I have many examples but just one. We had a parish in downtown Denver and the area there were 3 Catholic Churches. St. Cayetano was for the Spanish Speaking, St. Elizabeth’s was for the German speaking and St. Joseph’s, the Redemptorist Church was for English speaking. It was understood that “the Mexicans” weren’t allowed in the Redemptorist Church. One Sunday a Mexican family came to mass and a Redemptorist priest told them. “This isn’t your church, go to Saint Cajetans.” The family said that they didn’t speak Spanish and they wanted to come to St. Joseph’s. The Redemptorist said, “ok, but don’t take up in room in the benches. You can stand in back.” The Redemptorist didn’t see them as a family, people of faith who wanted to come to Church. They were “Mexicans,” even though they probably were born in the United States. Two weeks ago we had a gathering of the Catholic LGBTQ communities of Mexico here in Torreon. We celebrated mass here at Perpetual Help and the Cathedral of Gomez and Torreon. We had a holy hour at the Cristo de las Noas. In the mass in the Cathedral Bishop Luiz Martin Beltran celebrated the mass and Bishop Raul Vera, OP preached. Bishop Vera talked about how the Catholic Church needed its gay brothers and sisters. The group has mass here on Sunday morning at 9:30. People leaving the 8:30 mass greeted them as they arrived and people at the 11:30 mass were kind to them as they left. I am proud of all of you because there were no unkind words or insults at all. Many of pictures and articles were placed on the internet. And I am saddened to say that there were many negative comments. “you don’t belong in the Church.” “You are not real Catholics” People made comments about Bishop Luis Martin saying he wasn’t a real bishop but a friend to sinners and outcasts and that he should be removed from the diocese. Both examples grieve me deeply. The Redemptorist priest who didn’t want the “Mexican” Family in his church. And the comments by many people on the internet. Many Mexicans in the United States have asked, “why do they say these things about us?” The LGBTQ group that meet here two weeks ago asked the same thing. “Why do they say those things about us?” I believe it is because many in the United States don’t see Mexicans and immigrants as individuals. Men and women with families working hard to make a living. They see the immigrants not as people but as stereotypes. “All Mexicans are illegals” “All Mexicans are criminals, send them back, Build a wall.” Many people don’t see men and women who are gay as human beings. They don’t see them as not as individuals but as stereotypes. “They are all sinners.” They make jokes and snide remarks. I know that it is difficult but the Cananite Woman in today’s gospel offers us a way forward. To enter into dialogue with one another. To come see the other as their sister or brother. I believe that Jesus’ heart was changed as he passed through Tyre and Sidon. So I ask all of you to just take a moment. Is there a group of people that you see as a stereotype not as a human being. The test is if you ever make a comment like, “Those Venezuelans…those chilangos, those divorced people…” When you begin by saying “those” you are making a stereotype. You are saying that they are all that way. Obviously they aren’t, just like all the Mexicans in the United States aren’t the same. If you find youself making those comments are thinking that way, the second step is to enter into a conversation with someone who is different, try to understand their situation. Don’t see them as a generalization but as men and women just like us. Racism and division have always existed in our world. It is easy to put people who are different into a box and not enter into real relationship with others. May our hearts be changed as we met people who are different from us. It is hard to leave our stereotypes but if we do, we have the opportunity to encounter Jesus in the other.