My daughter is tormented

My daughter is tormented. 

We’ve all heard stories of a parent springing into action to lift a car off of a trapped child. It’s a response to sudden danger that releases superpower-like strength in a person, and it has been documented all over the world. In today’s Gospel, we see a mother with a different kind of superpower: extreme faith in Jesus.

This woman was desperate. Her daughter was being harassed by a demon, and she didn’t know where else to turn. We don’t know why she approached Jesus. Perhaps she had heard stories about other people he had healed. Maybe she had heard that he fed a huge crowd with five loaves and two fish. Or maybe she had heard of how open and generous this Jesus was. Whatever the case, she found the courage to ask Jesus for his help, though she was a Gentile. “If anyone has the answer,” she must have thought, “this man does.”

So she dug in and asked Jesus over and over again, until she was literally begging him to heal her daughter. She wouldn’t take no for an answer, not from the disciples and not even from Jesus himself! With heroic faith, she pressed him for the miracle that she knew he could accomplish—and he did it!

Let this mother’s faith inspire you. Maybe your daughter is struggling with her faith or with a serious illness. Or a grandchild or nephew needs direction in his life, but he won’t accept your help. You can’t fix the situation, and you don’t know how to help. Don’t give up! Bring your needs to Jesus as this mother did. Refuse to take no for an answer. Don’t let other people’s pessimism bring you down. Instead, push through every doubting thought, every voice that says you’re too weak, and exercise your extreme faith.

It can be hard to persist, but it’s well worth the effort. Pray every single day, and never give up. Include your loved ones in your intentions at every single Mass. Keep on asking for the miracles they need. Believe that God wants to do good things for his children—including the young ones in your life.

“Lord, please reach out and touch my children. Draw them close to you.”

Word Among Us