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Illustration: Christ and the Woman from Canaan by Pieter Lastman, 1617,
Pope Leo’s angelus reflection for 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Castel Gandolfo – Sunday, 16 August 2026
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“O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”
Sunday Gospel – Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus 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 master’s 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.
Pope Leo’s Angelus Reflection
Dear brothers and sisters,
Yesterday, we reflected on the unbreakable bond between the Virgin Mary and her Son.
Not even death could break the eternal union of their souls and bodies.
Every Sunday reminds us that the same fulfillment awaits those who follow Jesus.
His resurrection is not a past event, but rather, new life that draws us in.
Today, this is demonstrated by the Canaanite woman, the protagonist of the Gospel proclaimed at Mass.
Although she was not of his people and lived in a foreign land, she persistently sought to speak with Jesus.
She followed him like a disciple who already had a bond with him.
They had probably never met, yet faith had already taken root in her in a mysterious way.
She does not ask for anything for herself but rather for peace for her tormented daughter.
She trusted Jesus, recognizing him as the Messiah, a descendant of David.
The evangelist does not hide the obstacles this woman faced.
The disciples see her as a nuisance, and Jesus himself resists her pleas.
The Master had actually withdrawn to that region, and we can imagine that, as on other occasions, he was seeking a secluded place to pray and instruct his disciples.
At that moment, however, something unexpected happens.
Reflecting upon this, we can understand Jesus’ obedience in fulfilling his mission by allowing himself to be moved by what he sees and hears.
Finally, he says to her: “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish”.
Even today, the Church can be surprised by God’s work and spread the peace of Christ beyond boundaries already drawn.
The mission is anticipated by divine grace, which works in the depths of our consciences, so that in every encounter — even those that disrupt our plans —
we are to listen attentively by opening our eyes and hearts to what God wants to tell us.
From the Canaanite woman we learn humility and determination.
Thanks to her faith, we learn that God’s table is set for everyone and that no one is left merely with crumbs, because each person has his or her own place with the Father.
In the light of this faith, inequalities, discrimination and barriers that trample on the dignity of too many of God’s sons and daughters become unbearable.
Dear brothers and sisters,
We are the Church of Jesus Christ in a troubled world; a world that seeks peace.
Let us ask Mary, our Mother, to intercede for us “because on her lips is proclaimed ‘the strongest and most innovative hymn ever articulated, the Magnificat’”.
It is the song of one who now sees reality through God’s eyes and, for this reason, does not lose hope and acts in charity.
