God’s mercy refuses to stay within the limits we quietly defend. In Isaiah, God declares his house to be “a house of prayer for all peoples”: not some, not only the familiar, but all. Yet how often do we, in subtle ways, decide who belongs and who does not? The Psalmist proclaims that God’s blessing is meant to reach every nation, but we can become comfortable keeping that blessing close, as if it were ours to control. St. Paul’s words cut even deeper. He proclaims that God allows division only to transform it into mercy. No one can claim superiority: all have been disobedient, and all  are offered compassion. This dismantles any pride we carry, any sense that we have earned a place others have not. In the Gospel, the Canaanite woman refuses to accept exclusion. She does not let rejection define her. Her courage compels a response. Let us confront the boundaries we protect, the damage we excuse, and the mercy we withhold.

PRAYER: Abba Father, break down the barriers in my heart so I may love others without limits. Amen.