Thursday of the
Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 2:18-25; Mark 7:24-30)
Genesis states that God seeks a “suitable partner” for the
man. We should not think of a creature which
possesses a brain, or one with two legs, or even one with the ability to talk. Rather a suitable partner is one that will help
him to grow as a person. We can learn
from animals; they even may occasion some development in our awareness. But real growth comes from taking up the
challenge of reconciling ourselves with a person of the opposite sex. We can find in today’s gospel a mild example
of this growth.
Of course, the Syrophoenician woman is not Jesus’
partner, but her femininity does affect him.
She loves her daughter so much that she persists in beseeching Jesus to
cast out the demon. His initial refusal,
which is an apparent putdown of her nationality, is deflected as if it were
expected. Jesus is deeply moved by the
woman’s determination and grants her request.
He begins to see that his mission is not just to the Jews but to all the
peoples of the world.
We cannot say that it is necessary to be married to live
a full life. Jesus himself was not. But exchange between men and women is essential
to human growth. We begin to develop aspects
of ourselves that are hidden when men and women relate to one another. Without assigning social roles, we can say
that men and women complement each other to the benefit of both.
