18 September, 2023 | Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

 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.


Reflections:

The Roman Centurion serves as a model of true faith. He believed that Jesus possessed the power to heal his servant even from a distance. The Lord acknowledged this attitude as a genuine expression of faith, stating, "Nowhere in Israel have I found such faith." Despite not being part of the Jewish community and lacking any prior personal encounter with Jesus, he firmly believes that a mere word from Jesus possesses the power to heal his servant. Jesus' ability to heal without physical presence reflects our faith in the Lord's capacity to enter our homes and lives without the need for a physical visit, akin to how Jesus entered the home of Peter's mother-in-law. God’s power and grace are within the reach of anyone who approaches him in faith.

Activity: 

  Strengthen your connection with Jesus - spend more time alone with him


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