The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/062715.cfm) reminds me that it is never too late for God to work his power in us.
In the gospel, we see the slave who is very sick. Other people would just wait for the person to die. However, we see a centurion with great faith, not to mention genuine kindness towards others, even his slaves who were basically treated as traded goods at that time. By God’s grace and power, what the devil intended for death and destruction, was turned into something great and glorious for God, through the centurion. Amidst the worldly situation, the centurion had unwavering faith in Christ’s power over sickness and death, and we see his faith being rewarded. His faith is so great that we repeat his words everytime we celebrate the Holy Mass – “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed”
The condition for a miracle is difficulty. A condition for a great miracle is impossibility
Jesus continued to work miracles in the gospel. He healed Peter’s mother in law, and he eventually healed everyone who came to him. in the first reading, we see that age is not a hindrance for God to use us. He will give Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age. No situation is too late or too impossible for God.
As we see Jesus showing us how powerful and loving God is, we are encouraged to be like the centurion. The centurion who genuinely cared for others, even his slaves, and showed great unwavering faith in God, especially during very difficult and seemingly impossible situations.
Is my faith based on the situations in life, or is my faith in God constant and unwavering? Do I let sickness overcome me, or do I have faith in the power of God over sickness? Who is the one person that comes into my mind as I read the gospel? Do I realize that God can use my faith to heal that person, no matter how impossible we may think the situation may be?
Father God,
Thank you for today. Thank you for another weekend. Lord, I thank you for your message today. Thank you for reminding me how loving and powerful you are. I ask that you help me have faith like the centurion. May I have faith in your word, may I have faith in your power no matter what the situation may be. Remind me, Lord, that nothing is impossible for you, and that you can use my faith to heal others. May you always be glorified. Amen.
Blessed weekend!
In Christ,
-g-
Ps
See related reflection:
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June 27, 2015
Saturday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
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.
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