Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof
When he entered Capernaum, the centurion turned to him and pleaded with him, saying, " Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." Jesus said to him, "I will come and cure him."
Even from a purely human perspective, the centurion is a sympathetic man. Certainly not every Roman officer was so concerned about the health of his servant. But properly realized love of one's neighbor is a great preparation for the grace of faith. The centurion of the occupation army, a pagan, turned out to be a man capable of faith so fervently that the Son of God himself admired his faith: " Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith"
The centurion is not the only pagan whose faith the Gospels testify with the highest praise. The faith of the Canaanite woman even survived the hard test that Christ the Lord subjected her to. The Samaritan turned out to be one of ten healed lepers who returned to Jesus as a believer. We all remember the Samaritan woman whom the Lord Jesus met at the well, a rather reckless woman who believed in Him and even began to proclaim Him to her countrymen. All these pagans in the Gospel are highly believers because they constitute a living and separate message that Christ the Lord redeemed all mankind on the cross, and from now on people of all nations will be called to join the people of God as rightful members. Let the centurion remind us that also people who do not come from Christian families are called to faith and God can make them surpass us who are Christians from childhood.
Today, too, there are so many people outside the church who are truly seeking God and are deeply sensitive to every genuine gesture. These people are repelled by all manifestations of hypocrisy, triumphalism, proud exaltation and contempt for unbelievers - attitudes that are in fact a contradiction of the gospel, because Christ comes as a servant, as one who serves, not as judging others and exalting himself above them. He also calls us to imitate himself and gives us no basis for self-exaltation. He says very clearly: The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (cf. Mt 23: 11 – 12). And it must be said that he himself lives according to this principle.
Only an authentic testimony can attract others. The Lord Jesus never forces, but draws people to Himself, invites them, introduces them to an authentic life. That is why he wants so much an authentic life for his disciples.
Real knowledge that leads to life is only through recognition of the testimony. And only where this testimony is present is Christ truly present. Advent, as a time of waiting for Christ, is also a time of special recognition of his presence among us. Let him be alive among us
Until Tomorrow
fr. george