August 3

St. Peter Julian Eymard

Then Jesus went from that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, "Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon." But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, "Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us." He said in reply, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But the woman came and did him homage, saying, "Lord, help me." He said in reply, "It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters." Then Jesus said to her in reply, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that hour (Matthew 15: 21-28).

This woman is a great example of perseverance in prayer. Christ did not answer her right away. Sometimes we are tempted to give up praying because we do not get what we want immediately. Let’s follow this woman’s example – Christ will help us, too.

Blessed Mother, give me the strength to never give up on prayer.

Impact Sports: Can I bounce back quickly if I played poorly one day?

Impact Life: Do I always strive for excellence or do I easily settle for what is OK?