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Saint Augustine (354-430)
Bishop of Hippo (North Africa) and Doctor of the Church
Sermon 62

"Say the word and let my servant be healed"

How did the centurion win the grace of his servant's cure? “I am a person subject to authority...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. I have power over those under me but I myself am subject to higher authority. So if I, subordinate though I am, nevertheless have authority to give orders, what could you not do to whom all authorities are subject?” This man was a pagan, for the Jewish people were occupied by the Imperial Roman army at that time. So it was as a centurion in Judaea that he was commanding his soldiers...

But our Lord, although he was in the midst of the people of Judaea, was already talking about the Church being spread all over the earth wherever his apostles were to be sent (Mt 8:11). Indeed, the gentiles believed in him without having seen him... Our Lord did not physically enter the centurion's house and, even though absent in body, he was present in majesty and healed both that house and its faith. Similarly, our Lord stood physically only amongst the people of Judaea: other peoples did not see his being born of a virgin, or suffering, or walking, or subject to the condition of human nature, or carrying out divine miracles. None of these things were done amongst the gentiles and yet it was amongst them that what was said about him was fulfilled: “A people I did not know have served me.” In what way did they serve him? The Psalm continues: “As soon as they heard me, they obeyed me” (Ps 18[17]:44-45).