Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.

Jesus has just left Israel, perhaps seeking respite from the Pharisees when a shouting Canaanite woman interrupts his peace. This Gentile woman acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of David, and asks for mercy for herself and her demon-possessed daughter. But Jesus ignores her. The woman persists, kneels before him, and says, “Lord, help me.”

Jesus’s initial reaction to this woman puzzles me. However, as a mom, I can relate to this mother and her fierce love for her child. Through dialogue, Jesus eventually sees the depths of her devotion and faith—that she’s asking for only a crumb of his mercy and healing power—and her daughter is immediately healed.

I wonder if Jesus’s encounter with this bold Canaanite woman helps to widen his mission beyond the “lost sheep” of Israel. If one encounter appears to change the mind of Jesus, can such an encounter with someone different from us also change us?

When encountering a needy person on the street or even a stranger struggling in the grocery store, what’s our response? Do we stop to listen to their needs or offer kindness? Together, let’s build the “culture of encounter” that Pope Francis advocated.

—Diane Amento Owens was introduced to Ignatian spirituality in 2009 through the Midwest Jesuits’ annual Lenten Morning of Reflection. She offers spiritual direction with an Ignatian lens and is the author of Walking with Jesus to Jerusalem: A Lenten Pilgrimage of Hope. 

Slow me down, Lord, so I’m able to pay attention to the people I encounter today. Then bring me to a full stop so I can listen to them. May I truly see everyone you place on my path today—not as undesirable or too needy or beyond help—but as brothers and sisters, beloved children of God, just like me. May my life, and theirs, be changed by the encounter. Amen.

—Diane Amento Owens