Do you love me?
Greetings on this the Monday of the First Week of Advent
Readings: Is 2:1-5; Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9; Mt 8:5-11
Reflection
In this season of Advent we remind ourselves for the need for humility and faith in the divine. From daily Mass to the my own home, all places, things and persons are under the care of the Almighty.
During each Mass during the Communion Rite and just before receiving the Holy Eucharist we say: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof;
only say the word and my soul shall be healed. In our gospel portion today, the centurion had a heart of humility and contrition before the miracle worker, Jesus. The centurion didn’t know much more than that.
At his core he remembered like this quote from Father Cavanaugh (in the movie Rudy, 1993): Son, in thirty-five years of religious study, I’ve come up with only two hard, incontrovertible facts; there is a God, and, I’m not Him.
Centurion, priest, and the rest of us ultimately come to the same conclusion. The centurion having the benefit of seeing and hearing of Jesus’ miracle works set aside his power and authority to seek the higher power and the higher authority so that a beloved servant may be healed.
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.” (LK 7:6)
Just like Rudy and the centurion, we have autonomy, authority, dignity and self-determination. We each have our own “Roof“, My Roof. What is within my domain is mine to lead and care for. Yet to invite the Holy One of God under one’s roof is to yield the control to him. Because all of our authority is subordinate to our need for humility before a loving God who nurtures us and brings peace – within the heart and among the peoples.
Have faith in the Lord. To have faith we must take down the barriers to goodness and stop self-reliance. This Jesus will one day come again.
For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again (Isa 2).
Personal Reflection
As we prepare for the Incarnation celebration, let us have the heart of the centurion. For our peoples. All of them. Today, when you see someone struggling, ask the Lord to take them under his roof.
Rudy trailer: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108002/?ref_=ttqu_ov_i
Sacred Readings full text: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/120224.cfm
Peace be with you,
Deacon Gerry