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Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. It is a choice based on the knowledge that we belong to God and have found in God our refuge and our safety and that nothing, not even death, can take God away from us.
- Henri
Nouwen
(Nothing can separate you from the love of God . . . Feel the joy that comes from this awareness.)
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1 TM 2:1-8; PS 28:2, 7, 8-9
LK 7:1-10
When Jesus had finished all his words to the people,
he entered Capernaum.
A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die,
and he was valuable to him.
When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him,
asking him to come and save the life of his slave.
They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying,
"He deserves to have
you do this for him,
for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us."
And Jesus went with them,
but when he was only a short distance from the house,
the centurion sent friends to tell him,
"Lord, do not trouble yourself,
for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof.
Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you;
but say the word and let my servant be healed.
For I too am a person 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 at him
and, turning, said to the crowd following him,
"I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
When the messengers returned to the house,
they found the slave in good health. USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture |
"I too am a man who knows the meaning of an order."
—Luke 7:8
Jesus is Lord! A lord gives orders. The way to please a lord is to ask for an order. For example, the centurion sent the message to Lord Jesus: "Just give the order and my servant will be cured" (Lk 7:7). This man understood what it meant to be a lord and have authority over others. He understood Jesus.
We also should seek orders from Jesus, our Lord, the Lord of lords. We should read the Bible looking for an order to obey immediately. When we pray, we must not give the Lord orders but sit at His feet, listening to His words (Lk 10:39). We should constantly say: "Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening" (1 Sm 3:9). Also, the Lord wants us even to delight in obeying our parents,
husbands, pastors, employers, and leaders. In this way, we show our delight in His lordship.
We love Jesus' orders even more than His promises. We delight in the law of the Lord (Ps 1:2). Jesus' lordship is not merely a title but our way of life. It is our joy to submit to and serve the Lord. Alleluia! Jesus is Lord!
(see Phil 2:11)
Prayer: Jesus, may I live to do Your will, not mine.
Promise: "First of all, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for all men, especially for kings and those in
authority, that we may be able to lead undisturbed and tranquil lives in perfect piety and dignity. Prayer of this kind is good." —1 Tm 2:1-3 Presentation Ministries
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Theological Gems from Emile Merch's Theology of the Mystical Body - selected by Jim and Tyra Arraj
Book V: In Christ
Chapter 17: The Functions of the Church 531. think without fear
536. We have to be responsive to the slightest interior movements of grace.
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