Faith Of The Centurion

DECEMBER 04, 2023 - MONDAY
Monday of the First Week of Advent (Violet)
Optional Memorial of Saint John of Damascus, Priest, Religious, Doctor of the Church (White)
Lectionary: 175
CYCLE B - YEAR II

Reading 1
Is 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD's house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
"Come, let us climb the LORD's mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths."
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.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,
"We will go up to the house of the LORD."
And now we have set foot
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city
with compact unity.
To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
In it are set up judgment seats,
seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
May those who love you prosper!
May peace be within your walls,
prosperity in your buildings.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Alleluia
See Ps 80:4

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come and save us, LORD our God;
Let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 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."

REFLECTION:

Not many people could amaze Jesus, but this man does: he believes that Jesus can speak a word of healing, and that will be enough to cure his servant. Like the centurion, I may be used to giving and receiving instructions. Do I ever amaze Jesus with my faith?

‘Lord, I am not worthy.’ Do I ever feel that way? Do I ever feel I am getting more than I deserve? We live in a culture of entitlement, thinking we deserve to get everything on offer. How about me?

PRAYER:

Lord, so much of my life is structured by social conventions and barriers. Give me the grace to listen to my heart and reach out to those that I can help.

Faith Of The Centurion

JULY 01, 2023 SATURDAY

Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

CYCLE A - YEAR I

Lectionary: 376

Reading 1

Gn 18:1-15

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the Terebinth of Mamre,

as Abraham sat in the entrance of his tent,

while the day was growing hot.

Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby.

When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;

and bowing to the ground, he said:

"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,

please do not go on past your servant.

Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,

and then rest yourselves under the tree.

Now that you have come this close to your servant,

let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;

and afterward you may go on your way."

The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."

Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,

"Quick, three measures of fine flour!

Knead it and make rolls."

He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,

and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.

Then Abraham got some curds and milk,

as well as the steer that had been prepared,

and set these before them;

and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.

They asked him, "Where is your wife Sarah?"

He replied, "There in the tent."

One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,

and Sarah will then have a son."

Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years,

and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods.

So Sarah laughed to herself and said,

"Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old,

am I still to have sexual pleasure?"

But the LORD said to Abraham: "Why did Sarah laugh and say,

'Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?'

Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do?

At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you,

and Sarah will have a son."

Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, "I didn't laugh."

But he replied, "Yes you did."

Responsorial Psalm

Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50 and 53, 54-55

R. (see 54b) The Lord has remembered his mercy.

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

R. The Lord has remembered his mercy.

"For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name."

R. The Lord has remembered his mercy.

"He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty."

R. The Lord has remembered his mercy.

"He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children for ever."

R. The Lord has remembered his mercy.

Alleluia

Mt 8:17

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ took away our infirmities

and bore our diseases.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 8:5-17

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,

but the children of the Kingdom

will be driven out into the outer darkness,

where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."

And Jesus said to the centurion,

"You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you."

And at that very hour his servant was healed.

Jesus entered the house of Peter,

and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.

He touched her hand, the fever left her,

and she rose and waited on him.

When it was evening, they brought him many

who were possessed by demons,

and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick,

to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:

He took away our infirmities

and bore our diseases.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Faith has its results. The centurion's prayer was heard because of a strong faith. Our prayers may be heard in different ways, as all the time we pray in faith that God cares for us and knows us, and grants us what is best. We may ask for something and get something better. No moment of faith or prayer is wasted but brings good in our own lives or in the lives of others.

PRAYER:

Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed”. These words expressed the Centurion's full trust in Jesus, and led to a unique commendation of this pagan man's faith. Let me spend some time pondering on these words.

Faith Of The Centurion

NOVEMBER 28, 2022, MONDAY
Monday of the First Week of Advent (Violet)
CYCLE A - YEAR I
Lectionary: 175

Reading 1
Is 4:2-6

On that day,

The branch of the LORD will be luster and glory,

and the fruit of the earth will be honor and splendor

for the survivors of Israel.

He who remains in Zion

and he who is left in Jerusalem

Will be called holy:

every one marked down for life in Jerusalem.

When the LORD washes away

the filth of the daughters of Zion,

And purges Jerusalem's blood from her midst

with a blast of searing judgment,

Then will the LORD create,

over the whole site of Mount Zion

and over her place of assembly,

A smoking cloud by day

and a light of flaming fire by night.

For over all, the LORD's glory will be shelter and protection:

shade from the parching heat of day,

refuge and cover from storm and rain.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 122:1-2, 3-4b, 4cd-5, 6-7, 8-9

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

I rejoiced because they said to me,

"We will go up to the house of the LORD."

And now we have set foot

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Jerusalem, built as a city

with compact unity.

To it the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

According to the decree for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.

In it are set up judgment seats,

seats for the house of David.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

May those who love you prosper!

May peace be within your walls,

prosperity in your buildings.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Because of my relatives and friends

I will say, "Peace be within you!"

Because of the house of the LORD, our God,

I will pray for your good.

R. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Alleluia
See Ps 80:4

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Come and save us, LORD our God;

let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 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."

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Not many people could amaze Jesus, but this man does: he believes that Jesus can speak a word of healing, and that will be enough to cure his servant. Like the centurion, I may be used to giving and receiving instructions. Do I ever amaze Jesus with my faith?

‘Lord, I am not worthy.’ Do I ever feel that way? Do I ever feel I am getting more than I deserve? We live in a culture of entitlement, thinking we deserve to get everything on offer. How about me?

PRAYER:

Lord, so much of my life is structured by social conventions and barriers. Give me the grace to listen to my heart and reach out to those that I can help.

Centurion's Faith

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022, MONDAY

Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)

MEMORIAL OF THE MOST HOLY NAME OF MARY (White)

CYCLE C - YEAR II

Lectionary: 443

Reading 1

1 Cor 11:17-26, 33

Brothers and sisters:

In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact

that your meetings are doing more harm than good.

First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church

there are divisions among you,

and to a degree I believe it;

there have to be factions among you

in order that also those who are approved among you

may become known.

When you meet in one place, then,

it is not to eat the Lord's supper,

for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper,

and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.

Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink?

Or do you show contempt for the Church of God

and make those who have nothing feel ashamed?

What can I say to you? Shall I praise you?

In this matter I do not praise you.

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,

that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,

took bread and, after he had given thanks,

broke it and said, "This is my Body that is for you.

Do this in remembrance of me."

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying,

"This cup is the new covenant in my Blood.

Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,

you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,

when you come together to eat, wait for one another.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 40:7-8a, 8b-9, 10, 17

R. (1 Cor 11:26b) Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,

but ears open to obedience you gave me.

Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not;

then said I, "Behold I come."

R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,

To do your will, O my God, is my delight,

and your law is within my heart!"

R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

I announced your justice in the vast assembly;

I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.

R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

May all who seek you

exult and be glad in you

And may those who love your salvation

say ever, "The LORD be glorified."

R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again.

Alleluia

Jn 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Lk 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,

he entered Capernaum.

A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,

and he was valuable to him.

When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,

asking him to come and save the life of his slave.

They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,

"He deserves to have you do this for him,

for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."

And Jesus went with them,

but when he was only a short distance from the house,

the centurion sent friends to tell him,

"Lord, do not trouble yourself,

for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.

Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;

but say the word and let my servant 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 at him

and, turning, said to the crowd following him,

"I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."

When the messengers returned to the house,

they found the slave in good health.

GOSPEL REFLECTION:

Jesus says some very surprising words of the Roman centurion, 'In no one in Israel have I found such faith'. He praises the unique faith of a pagan. We often ask ourselves what faith really is, and we may sometimes think that our faith is practically non-existent. And what of the faith of those who belong to other religions or who claim they are unbelievers or atheists? I remember that Jesus said that it is enough if my faith is as big as mustard seed, and thank God for this great gift.

The centurion displayed a great compassion for his servant. I allow my heart to be moved as I think of those in need. I bring their needs before God.

Bring your infirmities, physical and psychological, before Jesus with faith that he can heal them.

PRAYER:

Lord, I can receive you in Holy Communion day by day. May I welcome you with the same reverence as the Roman, and the same expectation that you will bring healing.

Faith Of The Centurion

September 13, 2021, Monday
Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (White)
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 443

Reading I
1 Tm 2:1-8

Beloved:
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity. 
This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
who wills everyone to be saved
and to come to knowledge of the truth.
    For there is one God.
    There is also one mediator between God and men,
    the man Christ Jesus,
    who gave himself as ransom for all.
This was the testimony at the proper time. 
For this I was appointed preacher and Apostle
(I am speaking the truth, I am not lying),
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument. 

Responsorial Psalm
28:2, 7, 8-9

R.    (6) Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.

Hear the sound of my pleading, when I cry to you,
    lifting up my hands toward your holy shrine.

R.    Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.

The LORD is my strength and my shield.
In him my heart trusts, and I find help;
    then my heart exults, and with my song I give him thanks.

R.    Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.

The LORD is the strength of his people,
    the saving refuge of his anointed.
Save your people, and bless your inheritance;
    feed them, and carry them forever!

R.    Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.

Alleluia
Jn 3:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Lk 7:1-10

When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
“He deserves to have you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.”
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
“Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant 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 at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
“I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.”
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health.

REFLECTION:

Jesus says some very surprising words of the Roman centurion, 'In no one in Israel have I found such faith'. He praises the unique faith of a pagan. We often ask ourselves what faith really is, and we may sometimes think that our faith is practically non-existent. And what of the faith of those who belong to other religions or who claim they are unbelievers or atheists? I remember that Jesus said that it is enough if my faith is as big as mustard seed, and thank God for this great gift.

The centurion displayed a great compassion for his servant. I allow my heart to be moved as I think of those in need. I bring their needs before God.

Bring your infirmities, physical and psychological, before Jesus with faith that he can heal them.

PRAYER:

Lord, I can receive you in Holy Communion day by day. May I welcome you with the same reverence as the Roman, and the same expectation that you will bring healing.

Faith Of The Centurion

June 26, 2021, Saturday
Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (Green)
MEMORIAL OF SAINT JOSEMARIA ESCRIVA, PRIEST
CYCLE B - YEAR I
Lectionary: 376

Reading I
Gn 18:1-15

The LORD appeared to Abraham by the Terebinth of Mamre,
as Abraham sat in the entrance of his tent,
while the day was growing hot.
Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby.
When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
and bowing to the ground, he said:
“Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
please do not go on past your servant.
Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
and then rest yourselves under the tree.
Now that you have come this close to your servant,
let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
and afterward you may go on your way.”
The men replied, “Very well, do as you have said.”
Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
“Quick, three measures of fine flour! 
Knead it and make rolls.”
He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
as well as the steer that had been prepared,
and set these before them;
and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.
They asked him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” 
He replied, “There in the tent.” 
One of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son.”
Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him.
Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years,
and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods.
So Sarah laughed to herself and said,
“Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old,
am I still to have sexual pleasure?”
But the LORD said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh and say,
‘Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?’
Is anything too marvelous for the LORD to do?
At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you,
and Sarah will have a son.”
Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
But he replied, “Yes you did.”

Responsorial Psalm
Luke 1:46-47, 48-49, 50 and 53, 54-55

R. (see 54b) The Lord has remembered his mercy.

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

R. The Lord has remembered his mercy.

“For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.”

R. The Lord has remembered his mercy.

“He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.”

R. The Lord has remembered his mercy.

“He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.”

R. The Lord has remembered his mercy.

Alleluia
Mt 8:17

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Christ took away our infirmities
and bore our diseases.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GOSPEL
Mt 8:5-17

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,
but the children of the Kingdom
will be driven out into the outer darkness,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the centurion,
“You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.”
And at that very hour, his servant was healed.
Jesus entered the house of Peter,
and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
He touched her hand, the fever left her,
and she rose and waited on him.
When it was evening, they brought him many
who were possessed by demons,
and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick,
to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet:
He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.

REFLECTION:

Faith has its results. The centurion's prayer was heard because of strong faith. Our prayers may be heard in different ways, as all the time we pray in faith that God cares for us and knows us and grants us what is best. We may ask for something and get something better. No moment of faith or prayer is wasted but brings good in our own lives or in the lives of others.

PRAYER:

Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed”. These words expressed the Centurion's full trust in Jesus and led to a unique commendation of this pagan man's faith. Let me spend some time pondering on these words.