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In this week's Gospel, a Canaanite woman approaches Jesus, begging him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. At first he ignores her; then he makes a comment that seems to compare her to a dog. Most of us, treated this way, would either walk away wounded or fire back defensively. She does neither. Instead, she leans into his insult, saying "even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." In that moment of radical humility, without an ounce of self-abasement

We recently visited our daughter's church, several states away. After mass, we met with Deacon Mike to discuss his church's marriage ministry. Like Dawna, Deacon Mike had a degree in marriage and family counseling. He practiced regularly with couples from the church. But he shook his head sadly: "Unfortunately, most couples don't seek help until it's too late." In this Sunday's Gospel, Peter steps out of the boat and walks toward Jesus across open water. He manages several st

Rob was reaching for another appetizer when he overheard his name in the kitchen. He paused and listened. Jenna was warning a dinner guest that his cooking was “hit or miss.” Some nights he focused and the meal turned out great, she said. Other nights he rushed, forgot ingredients, or picked a bad recipe and pushed through anyway. “Those nights I secretly dump the meal and eat popcorn later,” she confessed Rob said nothing until the guests left. Then he asked her directly. Je