A Woman of Faith

“O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” // Matthew 15:28 

That my suffering, united to Your own, will bear fruit in this life and the next, Jesus, I trust in You. 

That You will not leave me orphan, that You are present in Your Church, Jesus, I trust in You. 

The Litany of Trust, written by one of the Sisters of Life, was the only prayer I could muster up the strength to say, as an unfamiliar ache filled my heart. My brother was in the hospital with a serious mental condition, and while we were finally getting answers to his mental health, it didn’t diminish the pain that he and my family had experienced. There were very few days that had passed where I didn’t express any anger at the Lord for my brother’s suffering. My mom said, “The Lord hasn’t abandoned our family,” yet it was hard for my grieving heart to hold on to that truth. 

In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus say to a desperate mother, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish” (Matthew 15:28). 

Once the storm started to calm down around our family, I had a difficult time building trust in the Lord again. My heart clung to many lies that developed because of my woundedness. Like the Canaanite woman, I began to see how faith has an effect on my relationship with Him. It’s not that I always get what I ask for, but I’m learning that He doesn’t settle when it comes to healing. He is not bound by the limitations that we place on Him or by the complexity of a situation. He’s looking at our faith, not our brokenness. 

Sister, I want to encourage you to make an act of faith today. If you feel that your faith is weary, bring that to Him. Tell Him everything. There is nothing that He can’t do. 

Lord, I love You. Help me to make an honest act of faith today. When my heart is weary, fill it with Your love. Reveal to me Your trustworthiness. Amen.