If today you were walking down the street, would you recognize God coming toward you, coming to greet you as His friend, coming to do wondrous things for you? Would you be willing to give up all your worldly status, humble yourself before your Lord, and be receptive to what Jesus has to say? Today’s readings are all about that kind of faith and being able to recognize Jesus when you see Him.
In our first reading for Ordinary Time Year I Week 12 Saturday (Genesis 18:1-15), we continue to hear about the relationship between God and Abraham. Today God comes by to visit Abraham at his tent. God comes to Abraham! Imagine that! Abraham, even at a distance, immediately recognizes the Lord coming towards his place, welcoming Him, and listening. Listening to whatever He was about to say to him. God comes to tell him that the moment was here when He was would fulfil the promise that He made long ago about giving a son to Abraham. The Lord reaffirmed His promises to Abraham and told him that Sarah, his wife, would bear a son, as foretold, the son through whom God’s blessings would be given, to be the progenitor of many nations.
Even Sarah recognizes that God is with her, even though she is hiding in the tent. Remember Adam and Eve hiding in the garden when God came to visit? Sarah wondered if such a thing was possible, considering that she had been barren for so many years and was, by now, quite old. More than 20 years have passed since she, too was promised a son and began her journey with Abraham from his ancestral lands to Canaan. Since the day of the promised son had not yet come, Sarah perhaps began to wonder if she would ever have any son at all. But the Lord knew what was in her heart and mind, and told her, through Abraham, that everything is possible for God. In the end, everything happened as the Lord promised.
Then in our Gospel passage (Matthew 8:5-17) we hear about the moment when a Roman centurion approaches the Lord asking Him to heal one of his servants. Even some of the hated Romans recognize that God is in their midst. Even a Roman centurion believes in the Lord and has faith to ask Jesus to save his servant from the brink of death. Even a Roman centurion asks for the grace of healing, not for himself, but for his servant. His words of immense faith are memorialized in our Mass when we profess, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. Only say the word and my servant [we say “and my soul”] may be healed.” This Roman is a man with authority over 100 soldiers, yet he humbles himself before the Lord and asks for His command of healing. He effectively puts himself as the subordinate, acknowledging Jesus as his true Lord and Master. And Jesus does cure his servant.
Today we are called to have the same faith that Abraham had, that Sarah eventually had, that the Centurion had, and put our trust in God, to put our faith in Him. Let us not be worried or fearful anymore. Instead, let us all seek the Lord with renewed faith and commitment, knowing that He loves each of us, without exception. Just as He has reaches out to the centurion, He reaches out to us, as His love is universal.
Let the Centurion’s words be our own heart-filled words. Let us all be sincere in seeking the Lord’s love, mercy, and forgiveness, and draw ever closer to Him and His grace.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!