Speaking Words of Peace

 ~~~ Isaiah 4:2-6 ~~~ Psalm 122 ~~~ Matthew 8:5-11 ~~~

 

Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!"
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.

Jesus is met by a centurion soldier whose child is sick.
He does not ask Jesus to change his plans.
He does not take up Jesus' time with idle gossip.
He does not try to question Jesus in order to trap him.

This centurion officer knows the power of a command.
He gives orders to the men under his command daily.
He is accustomed to having his orders followed promptly and precisely.
So he simply says to Jesus....
“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;
only say the word and my servant will be healed.
By now you should recognize this sentence;
we say it during the Mass before we receive the Eucharist.
 

 

So what, you may ask, does this have to do with advent? 

This centurion has greater faith than many of us who claim to follow Jesus today.
Here we have a man who was not called by Jesus to be one of his followers.
Here we have a man convinced that his child's healing was possible...
even from a distance.
The physical presence of Jesus was not required for healing
only his words.
We are waiting for this 'Word' to become flesh and blood. 

Many come to touch and to be touched by Jesus,
 but this man only sought the healing intention of Jesus. 

 

This soldier was asking Jesus to pray for his child.
Every day we are asked to pray for someone.
How attentive are you with responding in prayer?
 

 Blessings come in consciously
 sharing the Peace of the Lord with others.

 Sometimes in knowing this kind of peace we can find healing.
Sometimes the person may just need to know that someone cares.
I invite you to be that one who cares enough
to pray and extend God's peace.