Beacon of Faith
The Gospel reading today (MT8:5-17) is marvelous for us to spend a few minutes with. It begins with the story of Jesus in Capernaum.
A centurion approached Jesus asking that his servant be healed. A little background information helps us understand the power of this story. A Centurion was a Roman soldier who was responsible for a hundred men. He had high military power. And in this story, this man comes to Jesus and asks for the healing of his servant.
Jesus says he will come to heal him.
The Centurion’s reply is a line we are very familiar with from our mass. He says, “Lord, I am worthy that you should come under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.”
Jesus’ response to the Centurion was to acknowledge his faith and cure his servant, who was back at home. The Centurion’s faith was so great that he knew Jesus did not have to be physically present to heal and cure. Jesus says, “Amen I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.”
We say the very same words the Centurion said just before we receive communion. “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof but only say the word, and my soul will be healed.” It isn’t by chance that those are the words we say before we receive communion. The Church chooses them specifically because of this story and the lesson it teaches.
At Communion time during mass, we are standing before God, in all our humanness, weakness, and sin. We are saying, like the Centurion, that we know not just who we are, but we know who Jesus is. We are saying we know He is present in the Eucharist. The words we speak are an expression of confidence in the loving, compassionate, and healing power of Jesus, personally for us. Jesus comes to us in His fullness when we receive communion. Our response is Amen. Amen, I believe, Amen, so be it, Amen.
If we allow him to, in Eucharist, Jesus heals our brokenness, forgives our sins, and empowers us to be more. He gives us the healing we need to go out into the world and be the Bread we have received for others. We become what we have received. We become Eucharist for others.
When I think and pray about that, I am awestruck and overwhelmed. But I am also freed and empowered. When I receive Eucharist. I feel God filling me to overflowing. I know I am responsible for doing my best to be the Living Bread I have received. Most notably, when I encounter those who are broken.
The Centurion is a beacon of faith. We are called to be beacons of faith too. Our world is starved for the light of faith and the healing power of God. That’s where we come in. The Eucharist gives us that power. We must never squander it.
In God’s Unending Love,
Gwen
