A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 8:5-11
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." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man 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 and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, 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."
REFLECTION: "I say to you, 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."
Day 2 of Advent!
The centurion was bold enough to ask Jesus for a favor. And because of his faith, the servant was healed. Jesus came to earth loving everyone equally. Though the Jewish people were His chosen people, His love was equal for both Jew and Pagan. "I say to you, 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." Everyone is included in the invitation list. The addict, the thief, the sinner, the saint--Jesus came for all to be healed.
What a beautiful love story. Jesus loves us whether we love Him or not. He died for us whether we love Him or not. His love invites all to the heavenly banquet. What do we need to do to accept this invitation? We need to love, obey and believe in Him in return. And in this journey during Advent, may we invite others to save their souls and extend this invitation to all.
God Bless You.
