Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

Choose either the video or audio below.

Gospel
Luke 7:1-10

When Jesus 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.
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.

Reflection

The more one reads the story of Jesus proclaiming His kingdom, the more they are in awe of His miracles. The miracles were His signature in a sense that He was someone more than anyone could ever be. He was a human being filled with the power of divinity, and people resisted over and over again. And what is so beautiful about this story is the way there is a humble spirit in a man who said, ‘You know, I don't deserve this.

I don't even deserve to ask you this, but I need it. I really want this servant to live.’ And that longing for life, for the one who serves this centurion was such an image of exactly what God wants, people that follow my son. My son wants them to be forgiven. You who follow the son long and want for people in your life to be forgiven and healed.

What a gift we have. How easy it is for it to slip through our fingers.

Closing Prayer

God, your spirit within us is a source of enormous power to do good, to free people from evil and to open their hearts to the fullness of their life. Bless us with an awareness of this gift. Let us give it generously and with strong conviction. And we ask this In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kyle Cross