At first glance, we Filipinos might describe Jesus in today’s Gospel with a very familiar word: “suplado.” A Canaanite woman approaches Him, desperately asking Him to heal her daughter, but Jesus initially remains silent. Even when she persists, His response seems unusually harsh. Yet the woman refuses to give up, and in the end Jesus praises her: “O woman, great is your faith!” What made her faith so great?

As I prepare to be installed as the new Parish Priest of St. Francis Xavier Parish this Sunday, August 16, I find in this woman three qualities that I hope will also shape my ministry and our journey together as a parish: Courage, Humility, and Love.

1. Courage: The Courage to Cross Boundaries

The first person who crosses a boundary in the Gospel is the Canaanite woman herself. She is an outsider, separated from Jesus by social, cultural, and religious barriers. Yet she has the courage to cross those boundaries because she believes that Jesus can help her. She approaches Him, cries out to Him, and refuses to walk away. Her faith gives her the courage to cross over. As I begin my ministry as parish priest, I believe that parish ministry requires this same courage to cross boundaries. We are grateful for those who are already close to the parish and actively serve the community, but the Gospel challenges us to look beyond those already within our reach and ask: What about those who are not here?

Our patron, St. Francis Xavier, is a powerful model of this missionary courage. He crossed oceans, languages, cultures, and borders because he believed that no distance was too great to bring Christ to others. This is also my hope for St. Francis Xavier Parish: that we will not simply wait for people to come to us, but have the courage to go out and meet them where they are. May we become a missionary parish that crosses boundaries, reaches out to those on the margins, and makes everyone feel that there is a place for them in the Church.

2. Humility: The Humility to Listen and Learn

The second quality of the Canaanite woman is humility. Despite the apparent rejection she experiences, she remains before Jesus. She recognizes her need and is not ashamed to admit it. Her prayer eventually becomes very simple: “Lord, help me.” Perhaps this is one of the most honest prayers anyone can offer.

As I begin this new responsibility, it is also my prayer: “Lord, help me.” Being installed as parish priest does not mean that I have all the answers. It does not mean that I already know everything about the parish or that every decision I make will always be perfect. I know that I still have much to learn. For this reason, I hope that listening will become an important part of my ministry.

3. Love: Making Room at the Table

Finally, what gave the Canaanite woman such extraordinary persistence was love. Why was she willing to endure silence and apparent rejection? Why did she continue pleading? Why did she refuse to walk away? Because she loved her daughter. Her courage was born from love. Her humility was sustained by love. Her persistence was strengthened by love. And this, I believe, must be at the heart of parish ministry. Everything we do must begin and end with love.

As this new journey begins, this is my hope and prayer for St. Francis Xavier Parish: May we have the courage to cross boundaries. May we have the humility to listen and learn.
May we have the love that always makes room for another person at the table.

Through the intercession of our patron, St. Francis Xavier, may we become ever more a missionary parish that goes out, a humble parish that listens, and a loving parish that welcomes.

Let us begin this journey together—with courage, humility, and love.