"... Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed."
Luke 7:6-7
Jesus never stayed in one place throughout his ministry. He was moving from village to village to heal the sick and suffering, all while proclaiming the coming of the Kingdom of God. Needless to say, Jesus kept himself busy. In today's Gospel, we see a request made of Jesus that would have been controversial at the time. A Roman centurion was in desperate need of someone to help his dying slave. Not only was this man not an Israelite, but he was also an oppressor of the Jewish people. Despite the controversy and negative stigma that this request brought, Jesus set off to see him. The part that shocked me in this Gospel is that Jesus heals the man from a distance, even after having journeyed to his home. Jesus could have healed the slave from where he stood, but he set off to encounter the centurion anyway. Jesus knew that more important than the miracle was that the centurion came to know Him. Similarly, as Christians we must go out of our way to help those on the peripheries of society so that they may encounter Christ.
What steps can you take to lead someone to truly encounter Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God?
Loving Father, give us the courage and strength to journey any length we must to lead others into communion with You.
Today's Reflection is by:
Nicholas Gunn
Did you know...
Nicholas Gunn is a seminarian for the Diocese of St. Petersburg. His home parish is Our Lady of Lourdes in Dunedin. He enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, video games, theater, stand-up comedy, and spending time with loved ones. He is an avid football fan, and while he loves the Bucs, the New York Giants are his team of choice.
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