Deacon Jerome Buhman of the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish in Madison delivered a Gospel Reflection in the church’s Aug. 16 online bulletin.

He began by sharing a testimony of a woman’s encounter with Jesus. 

“She first approaches Jesus and is met with silence," Buhman said. "As she persists, she suffers verbal abuse at the hands of the apostles. Then Jesus himself seems to rebuke her. Despite it all, she keeps her faith that Jesus can help her; Jesus can heal her daughter." 

Buhman added that Jesus later healed the woman’s daughter, leading to a special life lesson. 

When people ask Jesus for a request, they might be met with silence. Burham questioned whether that silence could negatively impact faith, and he urged parishioners to take a lesson from the woman in the Bible and maintain courage and faith.

“Her perseverance in faith can be a model for us all,” Buhman said.