Well, this is the season for movies, right? When you go to see a movie in the theater, it’s one of my favorite times. You go to the movies. You get your popcorn. You sit in your favorite seat. Nowadays, the seats are nice and big. They’re almost like easy chairs at home. You get ready for the movie on the huge screen. Sometimes, it’s got special effects, special sound effects. Lately, there’s been these 3D movies. Those are really wild and crazy too because with those, you get the images right there in front of your eyes. Yet, in order to see these images, you have to wear your 3D glasses. They’re special glasses that you have to put on. Without those glasses, everything is blurry and is hard to see. Well, when we look at the Sacred Scriptures, I think if you don’t mind me saying we have to in a sense put on not the 3D glasses so to speak but put on the lens of faith to see things in a different perspective, to see things perhaps from multidimensions. I think that today, when we look at our scripture readings, we especially need to do just that.

We listen to the first reading from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah’s really speaking to God’s people. He’s speaking to them about the covenant, a bond that they have with God. He teaches them how to continue that bond, continue that covenant, to observe what’s right, to do what’s just, for God says, “My salvation is about to come. My justice is about to be revealed. My house shall be a house of prayer for all people.” God’s abundant love is universal and given to all. Saint Paul speaks of this love in a similar way in the second reading. God’s mercy is available to all. Who has known the depths and the riches and the knowledge of God? For him and through him, all things are. To him, be glory forever.

Finally, we have our lens of faith as we listen to today’s powerful gospel passage. The Canaanite woman called upon the availability of that merciful love of God when in humility and persistence, she kept calling out asking the lord to help her, to help her daughter. She was tested at first, but through this testing, her faith was proclaimed. Jesus says, “How great is your faith, oh woman?” Even the disciples could see this as she saw it herself. Her daughter was healed. Faith has brought about God’s great love. Faith has brought about and called forth from her, faith, and called forth and dispelled any prejudice, stereotypes, or doubts that could get in the way of that faith. As we look at our passages today from scripture, let’s put on that lens of faith. Through faith, may we come to know who Jesus is, come to know God’s mercy for us that’s available. Just like the Samaritan woman, be persistent, persistent to strengthen that faith each day and to see God’s love in many different perspectives, God’s universal love.