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Theo Tigno•
12/1/2003 6:29 am
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Monday, Week 1 of Advent |
Matthew 8: 5-11
When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man 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 and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."
Dawg's thought:
Today's prayer intention is for the repose of the soul of John Siegener Jr., and for the souls of all those who passed away alone with nobody to pray for them.
"Acquainted by his position with the force of a command, the centurion expresses faith in the power of Jesus' mere word." - New American Bible commentary
Sometimes, seeing someone else suffer other than yourself is a greater means of suffering. During this past year, there have been many who have asked me to pray for their loved ones who are suffering from various life threatening conditions such as cancer and brain viruses. It is amazing because those who have asked me to pray for them have placed their faith in the Lord to heal someone they have no control over. It is through the suffering of another that their faith has been challenged. It is by the suffering of another that their faith will be strengthened. It is in the suffering of another that we see how faith, hope and love are all tied together, and how each are essential.
This weekend, I saw the movie "Elf." I'll try not to give away too much of it, but there is a point in the movie where Santa talks about how if he appeared to others, then there would be no reason for people to "believe." This statement rings true when it comes to all aspects of our lives, including suffering. It is greater to KNOW that God will take care of everything versus knowing HOW God will take care of everything. This is why we will never fully understand why we must endure our trials. We're just called to endure them and continue to love one another through Jesus Christ.
There are many things in your life that are "unknown." All we are called to do is to place our faith in the one thing we are certain of: A Loving God who is calling us home with gentleness and love. May God grant your heart peace in the face of unknowing through the gift of faith and our choice to trust. Take care and God Bless.
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