Marcellino D'Ambrosio, Ph.D. on "The Canaanite Woman" For Catholic Exchange

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We know the story. Jesus and his disciples travel through pagan country. A woman begs Jesus for aid. Her pestering annoys the apostles, who turn to the quiet Jesus and urge him to drive her away. Instead, he engages the woman, seemingly intent on denying her request. She persists, and at last, the Lord relents. It's an amazing story, for it appears to be one of the few times in which Jesus changes his mind. Dr. D'Ambrosio believes that the woman's faith is the reason why:

Many people think faith is belief that. Belief that God exists, or that Jesus is the Messiah. This woman certainly has this kind of belief. Though she is not a Jew, she calls Jesus “Son of David,” which means she believes that he is the anointed King of Israel foretold by the prophets.

Yet faith is more than belief that. It is belief in. To believe in someone is to trust him, to entrust something of value to him, even to entrust one's very self to him. Here, the woman is entrusting the destiny of her daughter to the man who stands before her. And her desire for her daughter’s salvation propels her to pursue Him, to seek Him tirelessly until she obtains what she believes He can provide.

Jesus often rebukes His disciples for having little faith. Their faith is little because it cowers before every obstacle. This woman’s faith is great because it disregards all obstacles. He is the King of the Jews. She is a Gentile. She asks; He is silent. She asks two more times; He says no. She doesn’t care. She just keeps on coming.

Notice that though she is insistent, she is nonetheless humble. She does not dispute Jesus’s “preferential option for the Jews.” She does not arrogantly demand to be served first. She’ll settle for leftovers.

Humble persistence; complete surrender of self to and trust placed in; these characteristics define the living Faith in which God dwells within us in Love. When we live this kind of Faith, anything is possible. This woman placed her trust in the Lord in order to fulfill God's own mandate for her life: she sought help for her daughter. Imagine if we approach the Lord with such Faith to request what we need to fulfill God's call. How can he say no?

Let us live that Faith today! Let us place our entire trust in Christ Jesus, our Lord and savior and brother! Let us trust in him through humble persistence! Then we may know the joy that comes from the peace He brings.