The Gospel of Mark 7:24-30

For the past several days I have been feeling very abandoned by Our Lord and have been praying to Him to allow me to be with Him as I used to be, and I felt that He no longer listens to my prayers. Then this morning at Church just before Mass began, a prayer rose up within my heart begging God to save us from the evil of this world ("she begged Him to drive the devil out ofher daughter "), and for some reason I prayed that "even the dogs eat the scraps from the table ' . 1 had not read the Gospel prior to Mass so I was very amazed when it was read. I understood very much while listening to this Gospel, but cannot explain in words — other than to say that we must have great faith to understand that God will overcome the evil of this world and rid it of evil! ("the devil has gone outfrom your daughter ").

Gospel, Mark 7:24-30

24  He left that place and set out for the territory of Tyre. There he went into a house and did not want anyone to know he was there; but he could not pass unrecognised.

25  At once a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him and came and fell at his feet.

26  Now this woman was a gentile, by birth a Syro-Phoenician, and she begged him to drive the devil out of her daughter.

27  And he said to her, 'The children should be fed first, because it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to little dogs.'

28  But she spoke up, 'Ah yes, sir,' she replied, 'but even dogs under the table eat the scraps from the children. '

29  And he said to her, 'For saying this you may go home happy; the devil has gone out of your daughter. '

30  So she went off home and found the child lying on the bed and the devil gone.

LB - Feb. 9, 2012