Friday 9th October 11.35

                                                                                   w/c Sunday 11^th October 2026

Dear Friends,

Thought for the week:

The second half of our Gospel reading (verses 21-28) is particularly interesting for a number of reasons.
Firstly, this is one of the few encounters in the Gospels where Jesus initially seems to lack compassion for someone who seeks his help.
His response to a desperate plea for help seems somehow shocking.
At first, he ignores the Canaanite woman, and then when she persists in calling out to him, he appears to insult her.
This seems all the more shocking given the teaching we heard in the first part of our Gospel about cleanness and uncleanness.
In this teaching Jesus tells us that, rather than the breaking of religious rituals being what makes us unclean, it is what is in our heart, evidenced by how we speak and act, that makes us clean or unclean. 

Secondly, this encounter is the only time when someone took Jesus to task and appeared to emerge victorious. Elsewhere, when people challenged him – the young lawyer who wanted to know who his neighbour was, for example – Jesus always had the last word and turned the challenge back on the questioner.
But not so here. Jesus acknowledged the faith-filled answer given by the Canaanite woman.
He healed her daughter as she had asked and also praised her faith (v.28).

And this is, therefore, also one of the very few passages where Jesus praises the faith of somebody.
It is high praise indeed.
But what had she done to deserve such praise? Several things, I suggest:

• She recognised him – repeatedly calling him Son of David, and Lord. This confession of Jesus as Lord is one of the central elements of faith.
• She was persistent in her request. Even when Jesus appeared silent, even when she was challenged, she kept trusting that Jesus could answer her prayer.
• She seeks mercy – knowing God is a merciful God and trusting that Jesus is the same.
• She has hope that Jesus is doing God’s work and that through the blessing of the Jews, the world, including the Gentiles will be blessed too.

Recognition, persistence, seeking (and showing) mercy, and hope are all still important elements of our Christian faith today.
I wonder, if you had a conversation with Jesus today, what aspects of your life and beliefs might make him say to you ‘great is your faith’?
Or might there be an aspect that he might also ask you to work on? 
Rev. Alex Holmes

Lectionary Readings for 11^th October

• Exodus 32:1-14
• Psalm 106: 1-6, 19-23
• Philippians 4: 1-9
• Matthew 22:1-14

Notices and Diary

• Harvest Supper – 10^th October 6:30pm 2 course meal £10 adult/£5 child.

Tickets available from Emma 01364 72828 or Mary 07395 027479

• Shoe Box Appeal – leaflets at the back of the church, the Village Shop & the Toll House, more information available at https://linktohope.co.uk/.
  All boxes to be handed in by 6^th November. Any questions to Liz Rider

Wed 14^th Oct                       St Petroc’s Morning Prayer at 8.30am

Thought for the week at 10am by zoom and telephone

St Petroc’s Parish Lunch 12.30-1.30pm

Fri 16^th Oct                            Morning Prayer at 9am by zoom and telephone