"O woman," said He, the Maker of all heaven and
earth, "great is thy faith. For this saying go thy way. Be it unto thee
even as thou wilt. The devil is gone out of thy daughter." She went,
full of faith; and when she was come to her house, she found the devil
gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
One word more, and I have done. I do not think that any one who really
took in the full meaning of this beautiful story, would ever care to pray
to Saints, or to the Blessed Virgin, for help; fancying that they, and
specially the Blessed Virgin, being a woman, are more humane than our
Lord, and can feel more quickly, if not more keenly, for poor creatures
in distress. We are not here to judge these people, or any people. To
their own master they stand or fall. But for the honour of our Lord, we
may say, Does not this story shew that the Lord is humane enough, tender
enough, to satisfy all mankind? Does not this story shew that even if He
seem silent at first, and does not grant our prayers, yet still He may be
keeping us waiting, as He kept this heathen woman, only that He may be
gracious to us at last? Does not this story shew us especially that our
Lord can feel for mothers and with mothers; that He actually allowed
Himself to be won over--if I may use such a word in all reverence--by the
wit and grace of a mother pleading for her child? Was it not so? "O
woman, great is thy faith.
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