6-30-2012 Gospel Mt 8:5-17

Link to today’s readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/063012.cfm

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. 

When we say these words in Mass, I wonder if Jesus would say the same thing about my faith? He was a man in authority who recognized the healer and leader in Jesus. Am I as observant as this centurion? You passed the power to heal to your apostles. We still have that power today. Do I believe and use it? Am I as humble and sure as the centurion? You still take away our infirmities and bear our sin and disease – when we let you.

 Prayer: Holy Father, help me to let Jesus take my sin and sickness from me. Guide me as I seek to have the humility and strong belief that the Centurion had. My faith is strong, but I ask that it be strengthened more. I know you love me as I am Jesus, but I want to grow daily in you. 

Lord, forget not the souls of your poor ones.