2 December, Monday — The Beautiful Faith

Monday of the 1^st Week of Advent

Isa 2:1-5
Mt 8:5-11

“Sir, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured.”

Just before we partake in the Holy Communion at mass, we would say, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. Only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” This is taken from Matthew 8:8, which is part of today’s reading, where the centurion asks Jesus to heal his servant. Mindful that he is a Roman and not a Jew, and that Romans worshipped different gods, he probably felt that his life up to that point was probably not right in the sight of God, making him feel unworthy and he did not want to ‘taint’ Jesus by having him step into his home. Despite the fact that he was considered a Gentile, he believed in God’s Word and the power and authority that Jesus had. He believed that Jesus’ authority came from God directly, that what Jesus said would be binding here on earth.

Yet, the beautiful part about his faith was that he believed in God’s Word with such conviction that he was confident that Jesus only needed to give the command and his servant would be healed. He drew parallels to his own authority as a commander, where his command would be acted on by his men, whether he was physically present or not. He understood that such power must only have come from God. For his faith to have such depth, he must have had quite a conversion. It even caused Jesus to marvel at his faith, as he had found it so lacking even amongst the Israelites. And here, Jesus offers an affirmation of the inclusivity of the saving grace of God — that “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”.

That is the promise of the beautiful faith — that all who believe in the Word of God will be saved, no matter our background, our position, our race, our past. God’s love is not reserved for the special few, it is available for all – if we accept and are willing to love Him, and be loved by Him. As we begin this season of Advent, may this be a poignant reminder to us all to hold on to our faith and immerse ourselves in it. Remember why God sent us the miracle of Jesus. Trust that God sees us worthy when we don’t, and believe that He loves us, believe in His promises for us. Have the beautiful faith in Him.  

(Today’s OXYGEN by Annette Soo)

Prayer: Lord, as we meditate on our faith in You, let this be a reminder to us that You are capable of so much more than we can fathom. Faith is taking the first step when we can’t see the whole staircase; sustain us oh Lord, even as we take that first step with You.

Thanksgiving: Lord, thank you for counting us as one of Your own, Your lost sheep. Thank you for your unconditional love and promises that transcend our situation and our past. We are well-loved by You and for that, we are deeply thankful.