Homily For Monday in the First Week of Advent Year B, 4th December 2023

Readings: Is. 2:1-5;  Ps.122; Matt 8:5-11

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LEANING FROM THE FAITH AND GENUINE HUMILITY OF THE ROMAN CENTURION

 

We are taught in our Catechism that faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused in us by God. Little wonder our level of faith is not the same. However, our gift of faith grows depending on our disposition and utilization of the gift. That is why, when Jesus invites people to faith and conversion, he does not coerce them, rather they come to faith through their disposition and utilization of their experience with him.

 

This is exactly the case with the Roman centurion in our Gospel passage today, who sought help for his sick servant, he approached Jesus for healing, but when Jesus accepted to come to his home, the centurion hesitated, feeling unworthy of Jesus’ presence in his home, said to him “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed”. 

 

Here the centurion believes that Jesus can speak a word of healing, and that will be enough to cure his servant. He has total faith and trust in the power of Jesus’ word. For him, the servant did not even have to hear Jesus speak the word: it was enough that the word was spoken. Jesus praised his faith and genuine humility. Today, these words of the centurion have become a pattern of prayer for us, that before Holy Communion we say it passionately because his faith and compassion are inspiring examples for us to follow.

 

This is exactly the kind of faith that all of us must have as well especially in this Advent season. The faith that leads us to seek God wholeheartedly, to be humble before Him and to love Him above all and not to allow our pride, ego and desires to lead us into faithlessness, disobedience and sin against God. And when this is done we can embrace the message of prophet Isaiah in the first reading today when he said: God will wield authority over the nations and adjudicate between many peoples; these will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war.

 

Dear friends, do we still have total faith and trust in God just like the centurion? What is our disposition towards the gift of faith that God has given us? Because our experiences of evil, injustice, suffering and death can shake or shape the gift of faith in us depending on our disposition. The centurion interceded for his sick servant, do we intercede for others who are in need of God’s healing and mercy? Do we know that we can speak God’s word in prayer and that someone, somewhere, will find healing? Do we often like this centurion, recognize in all humility our unworthiness before God?  We are called today to learn from this man’s act of humility and faith.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, we are weak and oftentimes we display an act of faithlessness due to the pressure and challenges of life, as we embrace the season of Advent may you increase our faith and make us humble and patient. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed week.