Untitled Homily

Only Prayer Leads to Salvation

In the Gospel we see that not all petitions of mothers are granted. In another part of the Gospel, the mother of two disciples asked for seats of honor for her sons, but Jesus ignored that request.

However, in today’s Gospel, this mother’s request is granted because she was not asking for something superficial but for the healing of her daughter.

The Faith of Parents Saves Their Children

These passages are written so that those who have children do not despair but take them as examples of how to seek salvation for their children.

First, when the Church baptizes children, it does so based on the faith of their parents. Through their parents’ confession of faith, these children are freed from the power of the devil, even though they have not knowledge of good or evil and have not yet done either good or bad.

Second, the prayers of parents are incredibly powerful, especially when they are accompanied by penance. The woman in the Gospel did not simply ask for the healing of her daughter—she also humbled herself. Not because our Lord wanted to humiliate her, but because the sin of the devil is pride, and pride can only be healed by humility.

Persevere in Prayer

Never stop praying for the healing and salvation of your children.

As we are reminded each time we read this passage, we must learn to intercede for the salvation of our loved ones through our prayers—not just any prayer, but one accompanied by the incense of penance and sacrifice.

If they persist in sin, we must persist in prayer, for with God, nothing is impossible.