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Monday of the First Week of Advent

Today's Lectionary Readings
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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."

 

            The
faith of the centurion is strong, but it begs the question, "Is
that enough?"

            He
believed that Jesus could heal his servant and acknowledged that he is
unworthy to have Jesus enter under his roof. But then what?

            Did
he change his life? Did he still lead his troops in the oppression of
the Jewish people?

            Or
did he just see Jesus as another expert to be summoned when his skills
are required, as he might summon a good mason to repair the archway to
his residence?

            The
Bible does not tell us; it does not have to, because the story is
about us more than it is about the centurion.

            How
do we treat Jesus? We may go to church on Sunday. We may say our
prayers in the morning and at night. But what about in between?

            Do
we view God as the almighty creator whose commandments must be
followed? Or do we simply see him as the one who answers some heavenly
dial-a-prayer line whenever we need assistance?

            God
tells us that he wants more than that. In the great judgment scene
from the Gospel of Matthew, (25:31-46) he tells those who are saved,
"whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you
did for me.'

           
That includes feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and welcoming
the stranger. It could be volunteering in a food pantry, donating
clothes to a worthy charity, or helping refugees and immigrants into
our communities.

            It
also means serving the kingdom of God by advocating for government
policies that protect the environment, create an equitable tax system,
and provide healthcare to those who need it.

            As
Christians, we must do more than cry out to God in our moments of
desperation. We must assist others who require our help. Only then
will we be living our faith to the fullest.

Deacon Walter C. Ayres is Director of Catholic Charities Commission on
Peace and Justice in the Diocese of Albany, New York



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