From: Luke 7:1-10
The Centurion’s Faith
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Commentary:
1-10. “They besought Him earnestly” (verse 4). Here is an example of the effec-
tiveness of the prayer of petition, which induces Almighty God to work a miracle.
In this connection St. Bernard explains what we should ask God for: “As I see it,
the petitions of the heart consists in three things [...]. The first two have to do
with the present, that is, with things for the body and for the soul; the third is the
blessedness of eternal life. Do not be surprised that He says that we should ask
God for things for the body: all things come from Him, physical as well as spiri-
tual things [...]. However, we should pray more often and more fervently for things
our souls need, that is, for God’s grace and for virtues” (”Fifth Lenten Sermon”,
8f). To obtain His grace—of whatever kind—God Himself expects us to ask Him
assiduously, confidently, humbly and persistently.
What stands out here is the centurion’s humility: he did not belong to the chosen
people, he was a pagan; but he makes his request through friends, with deep hu-
mility. Humility is the route to faith, whether to receive faith for the first time or to
revive it. Speaking of his own conversion experience, St. Augustine says that be-
cause he was not humble, he could not understand how Jesus, who was such a
humble person, could be God, nor how God could teach anyone by lowering Him-
self to the point of taking on our human condition. This was precisely why the
Word, eternal Truth, became man—to demolish our pride, to encourage our love,
to subdue all things and thereby be able to raise us up (cf. “Confessions”, VII,
18, 24).
6-7. Such is the faith and humility of the centurion that the Church, in its eucha-
ristic liturgy, gives us his very words to express our own sentiments just before
receiving Holy Communion; we too should strive to have this interior disposition
when Jesus enters our roof, our soul.
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
First reading | 1 Corinthians 11:17-26,33 © |
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Psalm | Psalm 39:7-10,17 © |
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Gospel Acclamation | Ps118:27 |
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Or | Jn3:16 |
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Gospel | Luke 7:1-10 © |
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