Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Fr. Mike Schmitz, in his podcast, "Catechism in a Year," speaks about a therapeutic deistic god in which much of our culture has come to believe the kind of role God plays in our lives. A therapeutic experience makes us feel good like watching our favorite talk show while deism is understood to mean a supreme being who exists but is distant.
The reason why a therapeutic deistic god is so appealing is because this kind of philosophy gives human beings the false notion that we can do whatever we want when we want to do it while still feeling the love of god.
Gratefully, this is not the God of the Bible nor is it the God of our lived experience.
When we look at our Gospel for today, we read about a beautiful miracle story in which a persistent women approaches Jesus while asking Him to heal her daughter who is possessed by a demon. Jesus clearly becomes a causative agent in the healing of this young girl.
We see time and time again throughout human history, an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God who freely enters into humanity and into our daily lives. Having encountered the Lord, where would be a good place to invite Him into your life?
Scripture Readings for August 20, 2023
Isaiah 56:1, 6-7
Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28
