The WORD
today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/091817.cfm)
reminds me that God wants us to have great faith n Him.
In the gospel, we see a 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
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?
May
we be ready inspired and always be reminded to have great faith in God.
Father God,
Thank you for
today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another week. Lord, I
thank you for your message today. Thank you for reminding me how loving and
powerful you are. Sorry for the times I do not have faith in you. Sorry for the
times my faith gets affected by the situations in life. 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
week!
In
Christ,
-g-
September 18, 2017
Monday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 443
Reading 11 TM 2:1-8
First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,
petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,
for kings and for all in authority,
that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life
in all devotion and dignity.
This is good and pleasing to God our savior,
who wills everyone to be saved
and to come to knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God.
There is also one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself as ransom for all.
This was the testimony at the proper time.
For this I was appointed preacher and Apostle
(I am speaking the truth, I am not lying),
teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray,
lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument.
Responsorial PsalmPS 28:2, 7, 8-9
Hear the sound of my pleading, when I cry to you,
lifting up my hands toward your holy shrine.
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
The LORD is my strength and my shield.
In him my heart trusts, and I find help;
then my heart exults, and with my song I give him thanks.
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
The LORD is the strength of his people,
the saving refuge of his anointed.
Save your people, and bless your inheritance;
feed them, and carry them forever!
R. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard my prayer.
AlleluiaJN 3:16
God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelLK 7:1-10
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment