Sts Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs (Memorial)

I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. 

What did Jesus think when these “elders of the Jews” came to him and urged him to heal this centurion’s servant (Luke 7:3)? The Jews considered the centurion worthy because of all he had done for them. But Jesus was likely looking at it in a different way. Instead of agreeing that the man deserved a favor because he had been so generous with the Jewish community, Jesus zeroed in on two dispositions that can apply to our lives as well: the man’s awareness of his unworthiness and his faith.

The elders of the Jews emphasized the centurion’s good works. But the man himself knew that his deeds didn’t make him worthy to come to Jesus (Luke 7:4-6). In a similar way, we don’t come to Jesus and offer to him our acts of devotion or good deeds; we leave them at the door. We are all unworthy. We simply present to him our heartfelt need, confident not only that Jesus can help us, but that this is precisely what he is eager to do. What we “deserve” never enters into Jesus’ calculations because grace, by definition, is unmerited.

Regardless of what you deserve, your faith brings you to Jesus, and it’s precious to him. He treasures it just as much as he treasured the centurion’s faith! The centurion trusted Jesus to heal his servant from afar, and you can come to Jesus with the same trust. Jesus has the authority and the desire to hear and answer you. His love for you—and for every person or situation that matters to you—is all-encompassing.

At every Mass, we echo the centurion’s words, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul will be healed.” But there’s no need to wait until Mass! The centurion’s faith-filled words are appropriate every time we approach the Lord with a petition.

Remember, not one of us is worthy to come to Jesus, but every single one of us is invited and welcomed. Don’t hesitate to lay your petitions at his feet.

“Jesus, I know I don’t deserve your mercy, but I still believe that you want to help me.”

1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33
Psalm 40:7-10, 17
Luke 7:1-10