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Monday of the first week of Advent
Isaiah 4:2-6
Psalm 122:1-2, 2,3-4b,4cd-5,6-7,8-9
Matthew 8:5-11
Summary
Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
Reflection
What was so special about this centurion’s faith? For Jesus to say to this
man, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.” Je-
sus isn’t known to say things of this nature, especially to a Roman of all peo-
ple.
When I take a closer look at this gospel, the fact that this man cares so much
for his sick servant is virtually unheard of back then. Servants were slaves
and if slaves were no longer useful, you simply got a new one. They were
thought of as property.
Jesus was obviously taken by this man’s love and after digging into it a little
more, I can see why.
What also strikes me about this Gospel is that we hear a very important
phrase, one that is part of our Mass. Mind you, it has been changed a little
over the years but as Catholic’s, these are sacred words said during the
preparation of the Eucharist.
The centurion tells Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you under my
roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. The centurion is
clearly stating that he himself is not worthy of the Lord’s presence, almost as
if he himself is the Lord’s servant.
This is a pretty powerful message of humility
and humbleness. With Advent upon us, how
will you humble yourself for the Lord this
Christmas?