The Proclamation of the Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew
[5] And when he had entered into Capharnaum, there came to him a centurion, beseeching him,
[6] And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, and is grieviously tormented. [7]And Jesus saith to him: I will come and heal him. [8] And the centurion making answer, said: Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed. [9] For I also am a man subject to authority, having under me soldiers; and I say to this, Go, and he goeth, and to another, Come, and he cometh, and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.[10] And Jesus hearing this, marvelled; and said to them that followed him: Amen I say to you, I have not found so great faith in Israel.
[11] And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven:
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ
MEDITATION: The Gospel for today shows us a great faith of a
person towards the Word of God’s words. The reply of our Lord Jesus to the
statement of the centurion is really mysterious for the latter’s words do not
contain anything that will invite the Lord to come to the place where the
centurion’s servant is lying except for the prayer he said to the Lord
informing God about the servant’s condition; and of course God also wants to go
because of the faith of the centurion towards Him and also God’s love, mercy,
and compassion towards the sick person. Jesus Christ’s reply is, “I will come
and cure him.” We can see here how great is our Lord and God towards people who
approach and pray to Him even if we do not invited God to come for us. Such
words of God shows that our prayer and faith towards Him especially our cry for
help for the people we want to be healed and where our concern, love, mercy,
and compassion rest is an opportunity for God to come because these serve as an
invitation of us for God to come for us and to cure us.
But the centurion’s reply towards the great consolation of
the advent of the Lord to his house and God’s personal presence to cure the
sick servant is much more mysterious for his reply to God’s advent and healing
indirectly rejects the very person of God, not allowing Jesus Christ to come to
his house. But his words show a very great faith for the centurion is unworthy
to receive God in his house, he just wants the Lord to say a word that will
heal the servant. Why he not allowed God to come? It is because the centurion
fully knows that just an utterance of Jesus Christ’s word will bring healing,
and he wants God not to be subjected and become obedient to his unworthy self
and in his words that commands and give orders. The centurion fully knows that
God’s word is enough to bring what he desires and that is the healing of his
servant. He also tells God that he is subject to authority and he is also and
authority himself, where the centurion shows to the Lord that his word of
command and of order is being obeyed right away by the people who were under
his authority. Well, if it is indeed so, then, the centurion has no right to
command or order Jesus Christ to come to his house and to heal his servant for
it is God and that is God. For if the centurion’s words were obeyed and carried
out right away by his subordinates, then how much more are the words of God not
to take effect right away after these were uttered by God Himself? Of course
the Word of God will take effect far faster than the speed of light! This also
tells us how important it is to be solid in the faith in Jesus Christ the Word
of God and on the Word of God’s words. How great must be our faith to Jesus
Christ and in His words! Now, it reasonable to say that all of us are a shame
in front of God for we don’t have that great faith like that of the centurion
towards the Word of God and to the Word of God’s words. It is wanting in us
that we have that such great faith like that of the centurion’s. I think it’s
not late to ask ourselves, “Am I now a centurion and do I have a centurion-like
faith?”
I believe there is a revelation to us in today’s Gospel. God
the Father sent His Son, the Word of God Jesus Christ for us “so that everyone
who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did
not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might
be saved through him” (John 3:16-17). Because of our unworthiness, God the
Father sent His Word for us so that we may be saved and healed through Him.
Jesus Christ the Word of God was sent to us but we are still unworthy of Him
because He is God. That will also explains why we have the Mother of God as our
Mediatrix. Mama Mary is the one who will send the Word for us and she will
bring us to the Word just as what she did in the Incarnation of God in her
womb, carrying the Word made flesh in her body.
Because we are unworthy just like the centurion, we must
approach Mary because she is the Body of God Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s Body
was taken alone from Mama Mary. In the Gospel for today, it is clear that Mama
Mary the Mother of God is the one who was approached by the centurion even if
it is Jesus Christ in His own person. How can I say so? It is because Jesus
Christ and Mary His Mother is inseparable to one another. In Jesus Christ own
person, He has His Divinity and He is God while at the same time He is human
for He has the Body of Mary, which is now His own Body too. Although Jesus
Christ is God and man, still, He is God, and we are unworthy to receive God.
So, because it is evident in the Bible or it is biblical, we must rather go to
Mama Mary who is God’s Body even Mama Mary is not God herself but a mere human
being. Why we must go to Mama Mary instead of going directly to Jesus Christ?
Well, because it is in the Bible. Like the centurion who approached God made
flesh in Mary’s flesh, so also we must approach God in His flesh which is Mary
because we are unworthy to receive God.
The centurion’s reply to Jesus Christ can be paraphrased
into this:
“Mother Mary, I am not worthy to have you and Jesus Christ
enter under my roof; only say Jesus Christ the Word and my servant will be
healed.”
And we can also add this as prayer before we receive Jesus
Christ in the Holy Communion:
“Mother Mary, I am not worthy that you and Jesus Christ
should enter under my roof; only make my body your body and say to me Jesus
Christ the Word and my soul will be healed.”
“Jesus, I trust in You” “O Mary conceived without sin, pray
for us who have recourse to thee”
“I am all Thine and all that I have is Thine, o most loving
Jesus, through Mary, thy most holy Mother.”
To the greater glory of God!
Mary H. Distributist
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