Feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

When I think about Edith Stein, her brillance and her education, and the fact that she was a Jew and a feminist, wisely respected for her writings on philosophy in a time and place where women were still thought of as secondary in a man's world (not much has changed since then, sad to say) I am struck by how much humility she must have been graced with in her conversion to Catholicism. Not only to become Catholic, but to become a discalced Carmelite nun, to choose to become hidden in Christ in a cloistered monastery. Praise God for her example for us all, but specifically for Catholic women today who are in dire need of strong and intelligent role models. Gleanings from today's Mass readings: Jeremiah 31 1 "At that time, says the LORD, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people." 2 Thus says the LORD: "The people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness; when Israel sought for rest, 3 the LORD appeared to him from afar. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. 4 Again I will build you, and you shall be built, O virgin Israel! Again you shall adorn yourself with timbrels, and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. 13 Then shall the maidens rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy, I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. Gospel:Matthew 15: 21 - 28 21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon." 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying after us." 24 He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." 26 And he answered, "It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." 27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." 28 Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly. From The Knoxville News Sentinel today, an article about the fighting in Lebanon, reported, coincidentally, from the same region where our Lord was in today's Gospel, namely Tyre and Sidon- "After 4 weeks of fighting, nearly 800 people have died on both sides." "One of the most tragic stories was that of Ali Rmeity who was at home with his wife and four children shortly after nightfall Monday when Israeli missles slammed into their apartment building Southern Beirut. Half of the 30 people killed in the strike were from Rmeity's family." This man lost his 3 daughters and his wife and son were in intensive care. He himself was terribly wounded. I cannot even imagine being at home with my children and in an instant being bombarded with enemy missles and losing my family in such horror. I believe in the Lord's word and pray daily for Israel, for the women and children on both sides of this war and for our soldiers in Iraq. May Christ have mercy on us.