The answer to our prayers is not always “yes.” Today’s reflection considers the story of the Canaanite woman and explores what faith looks like in the face of rejection.

August 16, 2026: Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Isaiah 56:1, 6–7
Psalm 67:2–3, 5–6, 8
Romans 11:13–15, 29–32
Matthew 15:21–28

Crumbs from the Table: Faith in the Face of Rejection

A reflection by Carter Fahey

The Bible is full of stories about people holding on to their faith in seemingly impossible scenarios and being rewarded later for their perseverance. Abraham, Moses, Zechariah and Elizabeth (Lk 1:5–25), blind Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46–52), the hemorrhaging woman (Mark 5:25–34), the Roman centurion (Mt 8:5–10)... to list them all would take pages. Of these, I find the brief episode found in today’s gospel reading to be one of the most compelling.

While travelling, Jesus and the disciples are intercepted by a Gentile woman. The woman shouts to try and get Jesus’s attention, much to the dismay of the disciples: “Have mercy on me, Lord… my daughter is tormented by a demon” (Mt 15:22). Jesus ignores her at first, and the disciples – unsettled by her shouting – urge him to send the woman away. Instead, Jesus speaks to the woman, seemingly denying her the help she desires because she is a Gentile. Not dissuaded by his tepid response, the woman kneels before him, and asks again: “Lord, help me” (24). Again, Jesus seems to deny her, and again she pushes back. Finally, Jesus commends her for her great faith, and heals her daughter.

This episode is challenging. Jesus’s response to the woman isn’t straightforward, and can seem confusing or even unfair. Yet it is because it is challenging that I find so much value in it – it speaks to a real experience of faith and prayer, and serves as a reminder that our prayers are always heard, even when we may feel that they are unanswered. If the response to a petition is “not yet,” that does not always mean the answer will always be “no.” If we persevere in prayer, it will certainly bear fruit, for God has our good ever in mind – but our prayers may be answered in unexpected ways!

This story also reflects the experience of many LGBTQ+ Catholics within the Church. Like the Gentile woman, we also ask Jesus for help and healing, and it often seems that these prayers go unanswered, especially when the institutional Church continues to resist inclusion. Many of us have also been pushed away by the Church on an individual level for being too vocal, much like the disciples tried to send away the Gentile woman. Nevertheless, we keep working for change and praying that God will help the Church change, and we must continue doing so – even in the face of pain and rejection. Perhaps we are in a similar position to the Gentile woman as she reasons with Jesus for the final time, persevering in her faith despite the initial response to her plea.

What should our steadfast faith look like in the face of exclusion, though? The world we have inherited is not quite the same as the world the Gentile woman would have known in the first century CE (to say the least), but we can still look to her example. She does not let the disciples turn her away from Jesus, nor is she content to speak once and take Jesus’s silence as an answer. She speaks honestly before him – despite the disciples’ intervention – not just once, but three times. Her words and posture grow more humble each time she speaks to Jesus, but she never loses faith that he will hear her out and respond with kindness.

We too must continue to pray humbly for change , but while we do, we must also take Isaiah’s exhortation to heart and not sit idle: “maintain justice and do what is right” (56:1). Our steadfast faith can also be shown through the work we undertake to bring about a more just and equitable world, caring for the people and world around us with a radical love. “Be strong… let your heart take courage,” and persevere in faith and love, no matter the obstacles that may come before you (Ps 31:24). For those who do, God promises to “make them joyful in [God’s] house of prayer” (Is 56:7).

Carter Fahey (he/him) is the Associate Editor of Breath of the Spirit and studied at Oxford. He is a convert and has an interest in doing outreach work to Catholic communities to combat misinformation and create opportunities for community among LGBTQIA+ people.