“When he 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 person 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.’” (Mt. 8:5-11 NABRE)
The centurion in today’s Gospel demonstrated profound faith in the authority of Jesus. Not only did he trust that Jesus could heal his suffering and paralyzed servant, but he believed that Jesus need not even be present to do so. He recognized the Divine power of Jesus to bring about the healing of his servant, even from afar.
Further, the centurion was a man of authority, with men subject to his rule. Yet, he greatly humbled himself in the presence of Jesus, recognizing Him to be of the highest authority. He acknowledged his lack of worthiness to have the Lord enter his home, and believed in the power of Jesus’ word. Jesus commended the centurion for his great faith and proclaimed that it is through faith such as his that grants one entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven.
This Gospel calls us to reflect and to ask ourselves: when we pray to our Lord, do we pray as though we are going through the motions? Or do we pray with fervor and faith, believing and trusting that Jesus hears our prayers will answer them?
May we, like the centurion, always approach Jesus in faith, trusting in His power and authority to answer our prayers, even in dire and seemingly desperate situations. May we humble ourselves before our Lord, believing in His authority and trusting in the Divine power of Jesus’ word.
“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1)
Another benefit of humility toward God is lasting inner peace when we cast all of our care on God (cf. 1Peter 5:5-7; Philippians 4:6-7; James 4:5-10). This is the benefit that transforms us.
"Jesus was amazed!".. Let's all AMAZE Jesus this Advent. There's a goal. And a challenge.