AUGUST 20, 2017
7:30 AM, 10:30 AM ORDINARY FORM (ENGLISH) MASSES
Paranomasia is the technical … or fancy way to say “pun.”
A pun is a form of word-play that takes advantage of multiple meanings or similar sounding words in an attempt to be funny or perhaps make a point. Puns have a long history, and exist in almost every language.
We seem to have a love-hate relationship with puns. They’re funny … usually corny … and often almost painfully awkward.
Puns can be homophonic: using words that sound alike, homographic: using words that are spelled alike, or visual: as in cartoons like the Far Side.
For instance, “How does Moses make coffee?” Answer: “He brews it!” Playing on the two word phrase “he brews” and the ethnic group the “Hebrews.”
Puns can even cross linguistic barriers, such as the tragic Chinese pilot involved in an mid-air crash with an American reconnaissance aircraft on April 1, 2001 … who was unfortunately named “Wang Wei.” (Wrong way.)
Alfred Hitchcock considered puns to be the “highest form of literature.”
Regardless of your take on puns, they do make us think. And they do make us laugh – if only for a short time … just before we fall into a facepalm.
In today’s Gospel we hear the story of the Canaanite woman.
In this pericope, Jesus and His disciples leave Israel and are in Gentile territory. The Canaanites were the original inhabitants of the land of Israel, having been driven out by Joshua – who succeeded Moses – over 1,000 years before the time of Our Lord.
And so, she isn’t really a Gentile … since she’s not from “outside” of Israel, but rather has been driven out of what became Israel.
So, what is all of this talk about dogs?
One idea is that this is all about language. We do know that in the Gentile world, the lingua franca – that is, the language of trade – was Greek.
The Greek word for Canaanite is Χαναναία (Chananaia).
And the Greek word for dog is κυναρίοις (kunariois).
Add to that, the word translated here as “did [Him] homage” – sometimes translated as “worshipped” – is προσκυνέω (proskuneoo) – which literally means “crawling around like a dog” … that is “on all fours.”
It seems that Jesus and the Canaanite woman are having a bit of fun with each other – or perhaps we might say a bit of “pun” with each other.
Nonetheless, after she is ignored, sent away, and finally teased … she perseveres. She humbles herself bodily – and quite possibly verbally. And through it all, displays her faith in Jesus – a faith which He calls “great.”
To our ears, Jesus sounds like a real jerk. Yet the joke gets lost in translation. “Canaanite” doesn’t sound like “dog” in English; and “homage” has nothing to do with dog crawling.
But with a little linguistic exploration, we can be let in on the joke … and recognize that rather than being a big jerk, Jesus is having a little fun … with Greek … in a Greek speaking area.
This, most likely, is why the Gospel writer goes so far as to indicate where this took place … as it requires a certain linguistic nuance to fully grasp the entirety of the story.
What does this mean for us? First and foremost, we should realize that only here does Jesus tell anyone that they have “great faith” – literally in the Greek “mega” faith.
And the recipe, if you will, for “mega” faith is perseverance, humility, and – if this story should teach us anything – a sense of humor.
As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us pray for a “great” faith … a “mega” faith … certainly founded on the infused theological virtue of Faith, but also supported by our own perseverance and humility … and when appropriate … insert some levity and a little humor.
