Matthew has rewritten Mark in the story of the Syrophoenician woman. In rewriting Mark, he has succeeded in illustrating how faith is ultimately determinant in including Gentiles among those who receive the blessings reserved for Israel. In the story of the Canaanite woman, Matthew anticipates the universal commissioning of the apostles (in Matthew 28:20) but at the same time shows how the light that began to shine with Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (Matthew 4:12-16) has also begun to shine "in the regions of Tyre and Sidon". Not only that, but by highlighting the woman’s request for her daughter’s healing, he has also provided us with a model of prayer.
Relevant Links
Matthew 15:21-28: The Canaanite Woman 
Sunday Thoughts: The Faith of the Canaanite Woman On Humble and Persistent Prayer Augustine on the Canaanite Woman
Question Guides for Reading
Use the synoptic table for the narrative about the Canaanite woman and use the following questions as your guide:
- Read Matthew 15:21-28 and make a sentence flow based on it.
- Compare the narrative to Matthew 7:24-30 and find out how Matthew has rewritten the story.
- Research: How did a Jew of the first century look at a Gentile? Did they see Gentiles as having equal rights with them to the blessings of Abraham?
- What reason did Jesus give when asked by the disciples to give in to the woman’s request?
- How would you describe the attitude of the woman in the story?
- What elements in the story makes the woman a model of prayer?
- What elements in the story would be relevant to you NOW as a Christian?
Comparing The Readings
The liturgy of the 20th Sunday (OT — Year A) is about the universal destination of God’s salvation. The first reading, taken from Isaiah 56:1.6-7 takes up this theme by emphasizing the qualifications of those who will enter the Temple of the Lord
"And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, every one who keeps the sabbath, and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant — these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah (RSV) 56:6-7)
The reading from St. Paul — Romans 11:13-15.29-32 — emphasizes the "grace" aspect of the grafting of the Gentiles into the olive tree that is Israel.
Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,
so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy.
For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all. (Romans (RSV) 11:30-32)
Suggestions for a Lesson Plan
The story involving the Canaanite woman and her faith can go in two directions: (a) it can be used to illustrate the idea that faith — considered in its subjective dimension — can “touch” the Lord (cf. Matthew 9:20-22), and (b) that prayer is an expression of that faith. If the first, one will have to make a small adjustment in one’s handling of the available materials. The adjustment involves thinking of Jesus in the light of the universal commissioning of the disciples in Matthew 28:20. In other words, one will have to look at Jesus as the Total Christ, the Head together with His Body, the Church. In this case, one will have to come up with a topic that that deals with the work of evangelization and its object: all those who seek God and His salvation. The Church in her work proffers only one thing, her life, Jesus Himself. And the question around which the topic can revolve is how that work can be made to continue through one’s own community of faith. Granted that the salvation offered in Christ has a universal destination, how would one’s community of faith direct itself to those who are considered "undesirables"? The topic should lead the community to examine its own ways of evangelization: has the community been leaving people in its projects and programmes?
While the theme of the liturgy revolves around evangelization, one can draw attention to the attitude of the Canaanite woman and make use of it as an illustration of prayer. In this case, the catechism will be on persistent and persevering prayer (cf. CCC 2610). The article On Humble and Persistent Prayer can be of help here. It is an article that brings together selections from Venerable Bede, Cyprian of Carthage and Augustine of Hippo bearing on the subject of persevering prayer:
The story of the Canaanite woman … is a story about humble and persevering prayer. At least that is the way Bede the Venerable understands it. In this selection from one of his homilies, Bede takes the Canaanite woman as a type of those whose conscience is stained by sin. These should submit themselves with humility, as the Canaanite woman did, and not cease from insistent prayer. Along this line, Cyprian’s teaching on prayer — taken from his catechism on the Our Father — offers insights on "attentive" prayer. Interesting in this piece is the way he explains "Sursum corda", the beginning of the preface to the eucharistic prayer. Also interesting is the way he uses an observable fact — people who pray with eyes closed and with moving lips — as an illustration for vigilant prayer.
Finally, from Augustine of Hippo, we take a selection from his homily on the words "Whatever you ask for in my name, I will do it (John 14:13)". He explains how we should pray in Jesus’ name and why we should not cease praying even when he does not seem to grant what we ask for.
All of these selections throw light on the idea of persevering prayer exemplified in the example of the Canaanite woman who did not cease supplicating Jesus even when he had rejected her repeatedly. (Continue reading)
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