Matthew 8:5-11

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.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, gather me and my family into your heavenly Kingdom. Increase my faith so that I may believe in you more fully. Grant me the gift of hope that I may trust more completely in your promises. Pour out your love into my heart so that I may serve those in my care.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Approaching Jesus: The Kingdom of Heaven has a universal reach. It is not just for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but welcomes all nations and peoples. A centurion, a Roman military commander of 100 soldiers, approached Jesus with humility and trust. He honored Jesus with the title “Lord” (kyrios) when he made his prayer and appeal. The centurion “knows that the greatest tribute that can be offered to God is a humble acknowledgment of need, a confession that the gravest plights can be resolved only by God. His prayer of humble request, coming from a man of considerable power, rises as an act of praise that moves the Heart of Jesus” (Levia-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Vol. 1, 329). The centurion did not ask for anything for himself. His concern was for others, for his servant, who was bedridden due to paralysis and “suffering dreadfully,” “grievously tormented,” or “terribly tortured” by his affliction. Who am I in this scene? Am I the centurion, called to approach Jesus in humility and prayer? Am I the servant suffering a form of physical or spiritual paralysis and in need of the healing word of Jesus?

2. Lord, I Am Not Worthy: Jesus was willing to go to the centurion’s house. Just as touching the leper did not render Jesus unclean (Matthew 8:3), so also entering a Gentile’s house would not. The touch and presence of Jesus bring healing and purification. But the centurion was sensitive to Jewish law and said to Jesus, “I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.” We make the same humble prayer before receiving the Eucharist. We recognize our unworthiness and the times we have sinned selfishly. Humility leads to trust: “But only say the word and my soul will be healed.” The prideful and arrogant do not see their wounds and do not ask for the divine Physician’s help and care. The prideful do not invite the Lord God into their dwelling. “One word of Jesus is more efficacious than all the efforts of physicians and all incantations of soothsayers. One word, and the light was created; one word, and the servant will be healed” (Levia-Merikakis, Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Vol. 1, 332). Is my daily conversation with God characterized by humility, meekness, repentance, and trust? 

3. The Banquet in the Kingdom of Heaven: The Gospel today concludes with a vision of many people coming from the east and west, reclining at table with the Patriarchs, and dining in the Kingdom of Heaven. By gathering the Gentile nations into the Kingdom, the Israelites scattered among the Gentiles will also be brought into the Kingdom. This is a powerful vision of the age of salvation. Jesus is not speaking about an earthly pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but about gathering the righteous into a heavenly Kingdom and Paradise. The early Christians understood this and when they celebrated the Eucharist, they prayed: “Just as this broken bread was scattered upon the mountains, and then was gathered together and became one, so may your church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into your kingdom; for yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever” (Didache, 9, 4-5). When I am at mass, do I see my brothers and sisters around me as members of the Kingdom of Heaven?

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I thank you for coming to dwell under my roof. I am not worthy of the awesome and great gift of the Eucharist, your very Body and Blood. But only say the word, and I will be healed.

Living the Word of God: Can I spend some time in thanksgiving today for the gift of the Eucharist? Am I truly humble like the centurion of Capernaum, who knows he is unworthy to have Jesus enter into his house? Do I experience the healing power of Jesus when I receive communion?