Who but the Lord our God alone can declare I love you with an everlasting love and truly mean it. Such is His love that even those who have little or no knowledge of Him, when they turn to Him for help in faith;He answers their prayers. This is our God! All merciful and loving, how then should we revere Him? If not by obedience, faithfulness and love.
How then can we place conditions on our brethren before loving them as we should? For the Lord our God Himself loved us first even though we were sinners. By His grace alone we are saved.
Lord Jesus grant me perseverance of faith in loving and serving You; and my brethren. Amen
First reading
Jeremiah 31:1-7
You shall be rebuilt, virgin of Israel
I will be the God of all the clans of Israel – it is the Lord who speaks – they shall be my people.
The Lord says this:
They have found pardon in the wilderness, those who have survived the sword. Israel is marching to his rest.
The Lord has appeared to him from afar: I have loved you with an everlasting love, so I am constant in my affection for you.
I build you once more; you shall be rebuilt, virgin of Israel.
Adorned once more, and with your tambourines,
you will go out dancing gaily.
You will plant vineyards once more on the mountains of Samaria the planters have done their planting: they will gather the fruit.
Yes, a day will come when the watchmen shout on the mountains of Ephraim, ‘Up! Let us go up to Zion, to the Lord our God!’
For the Lord says this:
Shout with joy for Jacob!
Hail the chief of nations!
Proclaim! Praise! Shout:
‘The Lord has saved his people, the remnant of Israel!’
Gospel
Matthew 15:21-28
The Canaanite woman debates with Jesus and saves her son
Jesus left Gennesaret and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. Then out came a Canaanite woman from that district and started shouting, ‘Sir, Son of David, take pity on me. My daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he answered her not a word. And his disciples went and pleaded with him. ‘Give her what she wants,’ they said ‘because she is shouting after us.’ He said in reply, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ But the woman had come up and was kneeling at his feet. ‘Lord,’ she said ‘help me.’ He replied, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the house-dogs.’ She retorted, ‘Ah yes, sir; but even house-dogs can eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, you have great faith. Let your wish be granted.’ And from that moment her daughter was well again.
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