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.”
Lectio (Reading)
Read the passage twice and get a sense of what it is saying. Pay attention to what strikes you.Meditatio (Reflecting)
Slowly read the passage again, pausing on words or phrases that stands out. Take time to consider the meaning. particularly in your life.Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.
Oratio (Responding)
Read the passage again, slowly. Consider how God has spoken to you and respond back to Him. You may want to consider how this passage is asking you to act differently.This line of scripture is said by the congregation at mass,during the consecration prayers, just moments before we partake in the eucharist. It is important, at mass, when we make this proclamation that we remember the centurion.
A centurion was a military leader that was in charge of over 100 men. He was well respected and admired among his people, and on a material level he had great authority, and political power. There are few people in this world that he could not welcome under his roof, but recognizing who Jesus was, and the spiritual greatness of Jesus, he recognized that he is as lowly as the lowliest of men, and does not warrant even the reception of the Lord, “under his roof”.
We should never forget this scene, or the fact that we are in many ways just as lowly as this centurion, and that we too need God’s grace and mercy, to merely be in His pressence. Let us never forget, who He is, and who we are. When we encounter the lord in the eucharist, lets us bring to mind how humbling that sacrafice is for the Lord, and to not ever forget how humbling it shoud be for us as well.
Contemplatio (Contemplating)
Take time to simply remain in the presence of God.Resolutio (Resolving)
Make a resolution that will improve your life, your relationships, or your faith. Make it small and attainable, and do it.Oh, lord, help me today to be as humble as the centurion, but give me the courage to ask for your grace as well.