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

16 SEPTEMBER (Lk 7,1-10)

The visit is the most intense moment that prevails in the relations among men. With it a man enters into the life of another man. He penetrates into his mystery. It is as if he became a part of the other, even if for some time. When the superior is the one to visit the inferior, it is not out of dignity that this happens, but out of charity, love, kindness and mercy.

In the Holy Scripture God’s visit to a person was always bearer of another life. God visits to bring his power of love, truth, justice, holiness and faithfulness. He visits Abraham and makes him the gift of a child. God enters into his house with his creative omnipotence. He is always the creator from nothing. The nothing today is the barren womb of Sarah.

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre, as he sat in the entrance of his tent, while the day was growing hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them; and bowing to the ground, he said: “Sir, if I may ask you this favor, please do not go on past your servant. Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet, and then rest yourselves under the tree. Now that you have come this close to your servant, let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves; and afterward you may go on your way.” “Very well,” they replied, “do as you have said.” Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah, “Quick, three seahs of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls.” He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer, and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it. Then he got some curds and milk, as well as the steer that had been prepared, and set these before them; and he waited on them under the tree while they ate. “Where is your wife Sarah?” they asked him. “There in the tent,” he replied. One of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah will then have a son.” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, just behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years, and Sarah had stopped having her womanly periods. So Sarah laughed to herself and said, “Now that I am so withered and my husband is so old, am I still to have sexual pleasure?” But the Lord said to Abraham: “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I really bear a child, old as I am?’ Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do? At the appointed time, about this time next year, I will return to you, and Sarah will have a son.” Because she was afraid, Sarah dissembled, saying, “I didn’t laugh.” But he said, “Yes you did” (Gn 18,1-15).

Il centurione non si sente degno di ricevere Gesù. Nessuno è degno di ricevere Dio nella sua casa, nel suo cuore, nella sua anima. È un dono della carità, compassione, misericordia, bontà del nostro Dio. È proprio questa la larghezza della misericordia del nostro Dio. È sempre Lui che ci rende degni di sé. La sua misericordia è talmente grande che ci ha elevati all’altissima dignità di farci suoi commensali nel suo regno eterno. Non esiste carità più grande di questa. Dio ci fa suoi commensali.

When he had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. 4 Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. 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.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

The centurion shows a very great faith. He sees Jesus bigger than a Consul, even greater than the very Emperor in Rome. He sees him almighty over the entire animate and inanimate creation. He just needs to say one word for the whole creation to put itself in his obedience. He says, and things happen instantly. Never might anyone refuse to listen to his voice. The centurion sees this and he states it.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints give us the gift of obedience.