Daily Reflection – 12/1/2025
Sacred Scripture
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 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 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.” (Matthew 8: 5-11)
Reflection
As we step into the scene from today’s scripture, we find Jesus surrounded by his disciples and a large crowd. Through this gathering, a Roman centurion makes his way. He is the very symbol of the occupying force, an embodiment of what many Israelites of the time despised. By approaching a traveling preacher from Galilee for help, he risked ridicule from his own soldiers and scorn from the Jewish people. Yet, he pushed forward, driven by a deep need, and his persistence was rewarded.
This encounter offers a powerful primer for the season of Advent. The centurion models the interior virtues we need to cultivate as we prepare to truly encounter the Lord.
First, he approached Jesus with profound faith. It is a faith so strong that it amazes Jesus, especially coming from a non-Jew. The centurion possessed a confident assurance that Jesus could grant the miracle he sought without even being physically present. As we begin Advent, this is a good moment to assess the nature of our own faith. Is it a faith reserved for holidays or moments of crisis? Is it something we turn to only when we have a petition? Or is it the constant, guiding force that shapes and strengthens our lives?
At the core of our faith should be a true desire to be obedient to the words of Jesus Christ. For some, obedience is a difficult concept, seen as a restriction on personal freedom. And in a way, it is. We are not the sole architects of our lives; our Lord is. We cannot build a kingdom of our own making to inherit; our Lord provides one for us. He simply asks that we bring His teachings to life through our actions. These teachings should permeate our thoughts, our words, and everything we do, from our private moments to our public interactions. When we commit to this, a small miracle begins within us.
Faith leads to obedience, and obedience, in turn, strengthens our faith. Advent is a time to open our hearts to God and declare that He is the ultimate destination of our faith journey. He alone is worthy of our complete obedience.
The third Advent virtue the centurion displays is humility. Despite being a man of significant authority in the Roman army, he recognized his own unworthiness before Jesus, stating he did not merit a visit from the Lord. Advent is a season of humility, a time for us to acknowledge that we are not worthy of the Lord who is coming. This isn’t meant to diminish our self-worth, but rather to fill us with gratitude for the incredible privilege of encountering Him.
As the Lord comes to us this Advent, we have an opportunity to renew our relationship with Him. This isn’t just a seasonal tradition; it’s a chance to be reborn with Him at Christmas. Our age, our life experiences, our mistakes—all the things that may have weakened our connection with Him—can be absolved and renewed.
Let us reach out to Jesus today in faith, acknowledging Him as the Lord of our lives. Let us recognize, with simple humbleness, the immense depth of His love for each of us.
Prayer of The Day
“Lord Jesus, you feed us daily with your life-giving word and you sustain us on our journey to our true homeland with you and the Father in heaven. May I never lose hope in your promises nor lag in zeal for your kingdom of righteousness and peace.”
Daily Note
What are we hoping for this Advent? Perhaps we have one overwhelmingly pressing need–” a servant lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully”–or perhaps there are many concerns in our heart. Do we bring these worries to God? Are we waiting for the coming of the Messiah, Our Lord, confident in his power to transform hearts? Or have we perhaps let our spirit grow weak, to the point of eliminating all expectations? Jesus is coming. He is Emmanuel, God with us, and he wants to renew our hearts this Christmas. Let us open the doors of our hearts to Baby Jesus.
