Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof

Isaiah 4:2-6; Matthew 8:5-11

 

“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof…”

These are familiar words for us. We repeat them every time we celebrate the Mass, every time we prepare to receive the Body and Blood of Jesus.

They aren’t the words of a saint. They aren’t the words of a Christian or a Jew. They are the words of a centurion, that is a soldier in the Roman army who was in command of 100 other soldiers. He is a gentile.

Yet he knows authority and the power of a command. He believes that Jesus can heal his sick servant without seeing him, without entering his house. “Only say the word,” he tells Jesus, “and my servant will be healed.”

Sometimes those who seem to have no faith have the strongest faith of all. We pray for that same kind of faith.

When we approach the Lord in communion, we trust in the power of his grace.  We trust that the food he gives us will nourish us and heal us.  We trust in the power of his word.

Lord, we are not worthy to have you come under our roof.  But in your love and mercy, you make us worthy.  Thank you, for the gift of life.  –jc