Not Worthy, but Loved

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

 

~~~ 1 Timothy 2:1-8 ~~~ Psalm 28 ~~~ Luke 7:1-10 ~~~

 

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...

 

It is these very words spoken by the centurion centuries ago

that we echo during each Mass today.

Least we be confused we are both unworthy and worthy

at the same time.

 

We are unworthy because there is nothing we can do on our own

 to be worthy of all that God does for us.

We are worthy because God has chosen us...

called us each by name...created us wonderfully made.

We are worthy because God determined that we each had value.

God determined that we had worth.

Jesus validated God's intention of our worth by dying on the cross for us.

We do not determine our worth in the eyes of God...

he does that for us.

 

 

We may have the ability to make ourselves noteworthy...

We definitely can determine how trustworthy a person we are...

 

We are unworthy because we are flawed, imperfect, deficient in so many ways.

It is only through God that our deficiencies are made whole again.

 

Being made worthy by the word of God is about humility.

We cannot claim that we deserve anything from God.

He wants to be near to us...he wants us to become the living tabernacle...

he wants us to receive him body and blood into our very being...

he wants us to become one with him.

 

All we need do is accept his coming to us...his healing us...

his compassion extended toward us.

 

Jacob expresses this prayer to God for all that he has done for him.

I am unworthy of all the acts of kindness and faithfulness

that you have performed for your servant... Genesis 32:11

 

Worthy or unworthy God comes to us in the Eucharist.

Good comes to us in the silence of our hearts.

God comes to heal our soul to make us whole once again.

God comes to us to make us better today than we were yesterday.

 

You may not feel worthy, but the love God has for you is real.

Express your gratitude for his love today.

 

God says the word...so that you can then say...

I am worthy.

I am worthy because I am loved.

 

Blessings come from his words of everlasting love.