Wednesday 5 August 2026 - Great is your faith

Wednesday 5 August 2026 Today is Wednesday the 5th of August, in the 18th week of Ordinary Time. The King’s Singers sing Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis. ‘I have never put my hope in any other but in you’. As you begin this time of prayer today, can you speak those words to God? Can you place all your hope, all your trust, all your faith in him? Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 15:21-28 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. Today’s Gospel brings before us the persistent faith of the Canaanite woman. Despite a lack of response, she continues to call out to Jesus, trusting that he will hear her. As you begin, you might recall moments when persistence in faith - your own, or that of others - has made a difference. Times when hope did not fade… Times when God’s healing presence found a way into your life. As the story unfolds, even the disciples seem uneasy, wanting to send the woman away. Their desire to protect what is familiar becomes a barrier. Gently ask yourself: Have there been moments when I have been slow to welcome others? Times when I have been wary of what is new, or hesitant to listen to voices from the margins? Bring those moments before God now, without fear. And, if you can, ask for the grace to see as God sees… and for forgiveness where it is needed. This is a God who both challenges and listens. A God who meets persistence with compassion. As you listen again, in your imagination, to the exchange between Jesus and the woman, notice the words that stay with you…the tone… the movement of the encounter. Allow whatever stirs within you to surface. Matthew 15:21-28 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. And now, speak to Jesus as one friend speaks to another. Share what is on your heart - your desires, your questions, your hopes. What is Jesus inviting you to do with the faith you have received? How might you be called to trust more deeply… or to persevere more faithfully? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen