Matthew 8:5-17

Meditatio (Reflecting)

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.”

Oratio (Responding)

This statement is said by the congregation during the consecration prayers, just moments before we take eucharist. It is important during this proclamation that we remember the centurion, he was well respected and admired among his people and on a material level he had great authority, and there are few people in this world, people of great stature and renown, that he could could welcome under his roof, but recognizing who jesus was and the spiritual greatness of Jesus, he recognized that he is as lowly as the lowest and does not warrant the reception of the lord, “under his roof”. We should not ever forget the scene, or the fact that we are just as lowly as this centurion, and that we even need his grace and mercy, to just be in his pressence. Let us never forget, who He is, and who we are, and when we encounter the lord in the eucharist, how humbling that is for the lord , and to not ever lose track of the how humbling it shoud be for us as well.

Contemplatio (Contemplating)

Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.

Resolutio (Resolving)

Oh, lord, help me today to be as humble as the centurion, but give me the courage to ask for your grace as well.