The captain answered, “I am not worthy to have you under my roof. Just give an order and my boy
will be healed. For I myself, a junior officer, give orders to my soldiers. And if I say to one, ‘Go!’ he
goes; and if I say to another, ‘Come!’ he comes; and if I say to my servant, Do this!’ he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished; and said to those who were following him, “I tell you,
I have not found such faith in Israel. I say to you, many will come from east and west and sit down
with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.

Reflect:

Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant
will be healed” – so astonished Christ that we have incorporated them into our celebration of the
Eucharist. What do those words reveal? First of all, it acknowledges the overarching authority and
power of Christ – the Word of the Father, the Word that created everything in the universe. If the
Word can create, the Word can recreate and revive as well. Secondly, the words of the centurion
acknowledge his own unworthiness, almost eliciting a comparison with the response of Isaiah
(cf. Is 6:5) at the vision of the holiness of God. Finally, the words also dare Christ to speak the
word and effect healing, in spite of the unworthiness of the petitioner. Only a soul with deep
faith and trust in God’s goodness and love can utter such words to Christ. As we pray these
words in the Rite of Communion, what meanings do we intend?

© Copyright Bible Diary 2022