I am Worthy- Reflection on Matthew 8:5-17
In the Catholic Mass, there is prayer with a slight variation of the centurion’s request to Jesus. “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.” When we become the Centurion asking and receiving for ourselves as servants, our souls become worthy and eternal. By believing in this prayer, we become worthy as the Lord does say the word for each of us as a community. I use this prayer for many other occasions when I notice my worthiness wavering. I am certain that from a distance of less than a breath away, our awesome Lord, with the numerous requests of the cosmos to consider, responds with the ultimate gift of Himself, and I am worthy again. Sometimes, you may feel the same, so I share my technique of finding a quiet place away from worldliness, focusing only on God, and asking.
Lord I Am Not Worthy by James Tissot, (full-resolution painting).
More details are available on the Brooklyn Museum website.
Additional Ordinary Time Reflections
Matthew 8:5-17 – Scripture*
Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant
5 When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” 7 And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” 8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” 10 When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, 12 while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you according to your faith.” And the servant was healed in that hour.
Jesus Heals Many at Peter’s House
14 When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; 15 he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. 16 That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.”
Additional Thoughts
Thank you for meditating on this Gospel and reading this Lectio Divina on Matthew 8:5-17 Reflection – I am Worthy.
Would you like to contribute related thoughts to these Lectio reflections on the Gospel readings? Since Lectio is not the only contemplative prayer style, others might appreciate these types of expressions in this ministry. Do you see God’s grandeur everywhere and unconditionally enjoy sharing the love of Christ that you have inside? Are you willing to be anonymous in what you would share? If so, email me.
Prayer for young families:
Lord, let the young families of our communities get to know your joy, peace, comfort, and love despite worldly distractions.
Attributions
*This site has permission to use the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) Bible Matthew 8 passage.
The Immersive Prayer website follows the guidelines for image web use at the Brooklyn Museum and the Jewish Museum websites.
Facebook discussion group on St. John of the Cross.
Facebook page on Lectio Divina daily Gospel Readings.