Blessed is the man who does this,
the son of man who holds to it;
Who keeps the sabbath free from profanation,
and his hand from any evildoing.
Let not the foreigner say,
when he would join himself to the LORD,
“The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.”
Moments before we receive the Most Blessed Sacraments, Catholics recite, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed." With that formula we echo the words of the gentile centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant.
The prayer obviously reminds us of our unworthiness; and more subtly, that we are gentiles. The centurion's Roman religion and military code had not prepared him to understand the Messiah's mission. He may have had friendly relations with the Jews -- and we can suppose that was quite unusual for the commander of an occupying army -- but he might not have paid attention to their peculiar beliefs, much less listened to their endless quarreling. He knew only that Jesus healed people and was known for his willingness to do so even for gentiles.
If his fellow officers despised the unruly Jews, this army man could set aside all that to beg the Lord for a favor. He would do so despite his apparent unworthiness in the presence of a holy man of God.
But the Lord was more than willing to come to the man's home and heal the servant. He had read Isaiah and discovered that the Kingdom which he announced had to include the gentiles -- people like you and me. His Sacred Heart was moved with compassion for them, especially after hearing Isaiah's proclamation:
Let not the foreigner say,when he would join himself to the LORD,“The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.”
Jesus read on as the Prophet continued:
The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
ministering to him,
Loving the name of the LORD,
and becoming his servants–
All who keep the sabbath free from profanation
and hold to my covenant,
Them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make joyful in my house of prayer;
Like the centurion, we don't belong and don't feel worthy to be in the house of Mary and Joseph. But clearly the Lord has intended that the faith of Abraham and the saving work of Jesus should embrace us, the world, and all its people. We exclude no one since we have been included.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.