Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Matthew 8: 5-11
December 1, 2025 | Monday

Today’s Gospel

When Jesus entered Capernaum, an army captain approached him, to ask his help, “Sir, my servant lies sick at home. He is paralyzed and suffers terribly.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

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.

Today’s Reflection

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.”

This prayer we utter together before receiving communion is derived from the words of the army captain or centurion (Mt 8:8) to the Lord upon responding positively to his plea to heal his servant. His words do not just denote his faith but also his humility. He is not just an ordinary gentile but a commander of about a hundred Roman soldiers. Despite his high status and authority as part of the occupying force in Israel, the centurion seeks help from a Jewish teacher whom he reverently addresses as Sir or Lord (Greek: Kyrios). His unwavering faith, even in the face of his own power and status, is a testament to the strength of his belief. So astonishing is the centurion’s acknowledgment of helplessness and need of the Lord. For this, the Lord remarks that he has not yet found such faith in Israel and that “many will come from the east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.”

Just as the centurion’s words to Jesus broke down the social and cultural barriers between Jews and Gentiles, Jesus’ response to his disciples underscores the inclusivity of salvation. The Lord’s offer of salvation, or the Kingdom of God, is not limited by social or cultural boundaries. It is meant for all, even the occupying Roman soldiers who subjugated Jews during his ministry. This Gospel passage encourages us to take “the words we utter” (quoted above) to heart before receiving the Lord in the Eucharist. May our receiving of the body and blood of the Lord lead us to acknowledge our helplessness and need for the Lord’s healing and grace. May it also inspire us to help break down social, cultural, and religious barriers by embracing diversity and reaching out to those whose ways of thinking and doing differ from ours, including those who openly oppose us.

/Vulnerasti, 2025