their feet, and turn again and rend you;”2621 that is, lest after despising your pearls, they
should even ill use you.2622 Cast not therefore before them what they despise.
10. And how distinguish we (as might be answered) who are “swine,” and who are
“dogs”? This has been shown in the case of this woman. For He only answered to her en-
treaties, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.”2623 Thou art a
dog, thou art one of the Gentiles, thou worshippest idols. But for dogs what is so proper2624
as to lick stones? “It is not” therefore “meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to
dogs.” Had she retired after these words, she had gone away as she had come, a dog; but by
knocking she was made of a dog one of human kind.2625 For she persevered in asking, and
from that reproach as it were she manifested her humility, and obtained mercy. For she was
not excited, nor incensed, because she was called a dog, as she asked the blessing, and prayed
for mercy, but she said, “Truth, Lord;”2626 “Thou hast called me a dog, and truly a dog I
am, I acknowledge my name: it is the Truth that speaks: but I ought not on that account to
be refused this blessing. Verily I am a dog; ‘yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from
their masters’ table.’ It is but a moderate and a small blessing I desire; I do not press to the
table, I only seek for the crumbs.”
11. See, Brethren, how the value of humility is set before us! The Lord had called her a
dog; and she did not say, “I am not,” but she said, “I am.” And because she acknowledged
herself to be a dog, immediately the Lord said, “Woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee
even as thou hast asked.”2627 Thou hast acknowledged thyself to be a dog, I now acknowledge
thee to be of human kind. “O woman, great is thy faith;” thou hast asked, and sought, and
knocked; receive, find, be it opened unto thee. See, Brethren, how in this woman who was
a Canaanite, that is, who came from among the Gentiles, and was a type, that is a figure, of
the Church, the grace of humility has been eminently set before us. For the Jewish nation,
to the end that it might be deprived of the grace of the Gospel, was puffed up with pride,
because to them it had been vouchsafed2628 to receive the Law, because out of this nation
the Patriarchs had proceeded, the Prophets had sprung, Moses, the servant of God, had
done the great miracles in Egypt which we have heard of in the Psalm,2629 had led the people
2621 Matt. vii. 6.
2622 Molesti.
2623 Matt. xv. 26.
2624 Familiare.
2625 Homo.
2626 Matt. xv. 27.
2627 Matt. xv. 28.
2628 Meruisset.
2629 Ps. cvi.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xv. 21,’Jesus went out thence, and withdrew…