By Elizabeth Westhoff

“O woman, great is your faith!” ~Matthew 15:28

The Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel is every woman who has ever carried someone she loves to the feet of Jesus.

Her daughter is suffering, and she is powerless to heal her. Yet she possesses something stronger than worldly power: persistent faith. Although Jesus remains silent at first, the disciples want to send her away, but she refuses to leave. She draws closer, kneels before Him, and prays three words that contain an entire theology of trust: “Lord, help me.”

Our Lady of the Snows

Today, the Church also honors Our Lady of the Snows, a title rooted in the tradition of an extraordinary snowfall in Rome during the heat of August. The snow marked the place where a church dedicated to the Blessed Mother would be built—an unexpected sign of grace appearing where and when no one could have anticipated it.

This feast has always held special meaning for me because I grew up near the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. The Shrine was not simply a distant holy place; it was part of the spiritual landscape of my childhood. Its presence offered a quiet reminder that Mary is always leading us toward her Son and teaching us to trust that God can act in surprising ways.

Silence is not abandonment

The Canaanite woman understood this. She could not yet see the miracle, but she believed in the mercy of the One standing before her. Her perseverance was rewarded when Jesus declared, “O woman, great is your faith!”

Perhaps today we are praying for a child, a marriage, a healing, or a return to the Faith. The answer may seem delayed, and heaven may feel silent. But silence is not abandonment.

Through the intercession of Our Lady of the Snows, may we remain at the feet of Jesus, trusting that grace can fall even in the most unlikely season—and that God is already at work where we cannot yet see.

Prayer:

Our Lady of the Snows, teach us to trust when heaven seems silent and to persevere when answers are delayed. Lead us always to the feet of your Son, where mercy is never exhausted. Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith, receive the prayers we carry for those we love, and let your grace fall upon us in unexpected ways. Amen.

Call to Action:

Today, bring one person or intention to the feet of Jesus and pray with the persistence of the Canaanite woman. Then ask Our Lady of the Snows to help you trust that God’s grace is already at work—even when you cannot yet see it.

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