DAILY MEDITATION: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed”

Liturgical day: Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel text (Mt 8,5-17): When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, 'Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.' He said to him, 'I will come and cure him.' The centurion said in reply, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it.' When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, 'Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven, but the children of the Kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' And Jesus said to the centurion, 'You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.' And at that very hour his servant was healed.

Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him. When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet: He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed”

Fr. Xavier JAUSET i Clivillé
(Lleida, Spain)

Today, the Gospel speaks of the centurion's love, of his faith, confidence and humility. Of his deep concern towards his servant. He is so worried about him, that he humiliates before Jesus to ask his help: 'Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully' (Mt 8, 6). This concern for others and, even more, for a servant, prompts Jesus' response: 'I will come and cure him' (Mt 8, 7), which is in turn followed by a series of acts of faith and confidence. The centurion does not consider himself worthy and, along with that feeling, he expresses his own faith in such a way before Jesus and before all those gathered there, that Jesus has to say: 'Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith” (Mt 8, 10).

We may wonder what impels Jesus to make this miracle. We so very often ask God to no avail, though we know He is always listening! So, what happens, then? We may think we ask properly, but are we sure we do it like the centurion did? His prayer is not selfish, but full of love, humility and confidence. St. Peter Chrysologus says: “The law of love is not concerned with what will be, what ought to be, what can be. Love does not reflect; it is unreasonable and knows no moderation. Love refuses to be consoled when its goal proves impossible, despises all hindrances to the attainment of its object.” Is my prayer like that?

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof…” (Mt 8, 8). It is the centurion's answer. Do you feel this way? Is your faith like this? “Only faith can explain this mystery. Faith is true knowledge, the principles of which are beyond rational demonstration; for faith makes real for us things beyond intellect and reason” (St. Maximus, confessor). If your faith is such, then you are bound to hear too: “‘You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.’ And at that very hour his servant was healed” (Mt 8, 13).

Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Master of faith, hope and devoted love, show us how to pray so that we may obtain from the Lord that which is best for us.

Source: evangeli.net