Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Elizabeth Kirkland CahillDecember 04, 2017

First Monday of Advent, Dec. 4

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” (Mt 8:5-7).

The pain of the world is always with us. We see it in the desperate faces of those who have no homes, in the vacant eyes of those gripped by addiction, in the cowering stances of those who have suffered violence and abuse. More pain: the death of someone dear, family troubles, the onset of serious illness. How do we respond to such ever-present need? In today’s Gospel, Jesus shows us how: immediately, compassionately and humbly.

Most readings of this passage focus on the centurion’s humility. But he is not the only humble actor in the drama. To the intercession of this Roman military officer on behalf of his lowly servant, Christ responds instantly: “I will come and cure him.” And the Greek verb he uses for “cure,” therapeuo, is associated with menial service, with waiting upon (or worshipping) a superior. (Later in the passage, the centurion employs a different verb for healing, one that lacks these connotations of servitude.)

This is a strikingly humble statement from the Lord of the universe. Like the mighty angel who reassured John of Patmos in the Book of Revelation,“I am your fellow servant,” Jesus declares solidarity with those who suffer, and attends to them with great compassion. Through serving the servant, of course, he also honors God. For in the Christian life, as British mystic Evelyn Underhill observed, “We are all serving on one Staff,” and God is the master.

Christ does not hesitate to place himself in the service of those who need him, whoever they happen to be. And when today’s equivalent of centurions and servants present themselves to us, neither should we.

Prayer: Merciful Lord, grant that I might offer myself in service to others—immediately, compassionately and humbly. Amen.

For today’s readings, click here.

 

America offers a weekly newsletter featuring current scripture reflections and material from our archives, focusing on the upcoming Sunday readings. To sign up to receive this newsletter, click here. 

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
cuwe cuwe11
7 years 5 months ago

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
M­y P­a­rt ti­m­e wo­rk w­it­h FA­CEB­OO­K Im ma­ki­ng o­ve­r $2­0­00 a m­o­n­th wor­ki­­ng l­ow mai­nt­e­nan­ce. I c­on­tin­ue­d h­ea­r­ing o­th­­er indi­v­idu­als d­isc­l­ose t­o m­e ho­w m­u­ch c­a­sh t­h­e­y c­a­n m­a­k­e o­n­li­n­e s­o I c­h­­os­e t­o i­­n­ve­stiga­te i­t. A­l­l t­h­i­n­g­s c­o­ns­­i­­d­e­­re­d, i­t w­a­s a­­ll v­a­l­i­d a­n­d h­a­s c­o­m­p­l­e­t­e­l­y c­h­a­n­g­e­d m­y l­i­f­e. F­o­r m­or­e i­n­f­o­r­m­a­t­i­o­n v­i­s­i­t b­e­l­o­w ­l­i­n­k a­n­d tap on ► Ec­o­n­o­m­y o­r ► Ma­r­ke­t N­e­w­s.

H­E­R­E ▬▬▬► www.jobstoday60.com

Mike Johnakin
7 years 5 months ago

Thank you for your reflection and the emphasis on service to the poor.

Lisa Weber
7 years 5 months ago

The picture is screechingly off target. Pictured are servants to the wealthy and most of them are women. Servant to the poor is more like Pope Francis washing the feet of prisoners.

The latest from america

Pope Leo XIV's offer to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine was motivated by a conviction that the two sides must start negotiating and stop the killing, the Vatican secretary of state said.
Rev. Paul Nicholson, S.J., begins his homily for the Ascension with a striking image from Medieval art: Jesus’ feet dangling in the air, his body swallowed by clouds.
PreachMay 27, 2025
In an interview with America's Gerard O'Connell, Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington said that Pope Leo XIV would "carry forward" the legacy of Pope Francis' pontificate "in its essential elements."
Gerard O’ConnellMay 27, 2025
Pope Leo's quotation of Augustine after his election contains within it an important theological point about the nature of the episcopacy. The quotation signals Leo XIV’s approach to his role as bishop of Rome.