Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 29, 2021
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
“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word…” We repeat this response so regularly at Mass that it is easy to forget its poignant Scriptural context.
The centurion approaches Jesus to ask for the healing of a beloved servant, “suffering dreadfully.” This passage portrays authentic faith stemming from the most unlikely source—not a follower of Jesus or one of his listeners during the Sermon on the Mount in the previous chapter, but an officer of the Roman military. Astonishingly, the centurion’s faith does not come from having heard Jesus’ teachings, but through personal recognition of Jesus’ authority.
The centurion describes how his soldiers and servants respond to his commands, signaling his awareness of Jesus’ power, while humbly acknowledging that he too serves a greater authority. Even Jesus is “amazed” by this man’s faith.
We can infer that the centurion is also a good leader. He has earned such respect that those under him carry out his wishes immediately, and he advocates for the suffering servant unable to advocate for himself. Most importantly, the centurion teaches us how to meet Jesus in our own lives.
Pope Francis has said of the centurion that he “not only encountered the Lord, but he came to know the joy of being encountered by him. This is precisely the sort of encounter we desire, the encounter of faith. To encounter the Lord, but also to allow ourselves to be encountered by him.”
In whatever ways God has called each of us to exemplify leadership in our own lives, may we lead with the centurion’s strength, compassion, and humility. May we be inspired to advocate for others through our prayers and our actions. Most importantly, may we be courageous enough to allow ourselves to be encountered, healed, and transformed by God.
Prayer
What an extraordinary man that centurion must have been. He loved his slave, which was totally against the grain of his culture. He approached Jesus knowing his fellow soldiers would probably ridicule and mock him. He was humble and respectful, unusual for a soldier of an occupying force. May we approach you, Jesus, with the centurion’s expectant yet confident faith, knowing that you will show us your mercy and give us your help. We ask this in your name. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Saturninus was a popular name in the late antique Roman empire, so there are several obscure saints who all bear that name. At least two potential candidates are the saints with the name Saturninus who we honor today, and both were martyred in the first centuries of the Church. Relics of St. Saturninus rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica, but it is unclear which Saturninus the relics belong to.
The legend of Saints Perpetua and Felicity tells of a priest, Saturninus, who was one of their companions and ministered to them during their time in prison, comforting them as they prepared for martyrdom and he anticipated his own. This may or may not be the same Saturninus as Saturninus of Rome.
Saturninus of Rome was a priest who ministered with Sisinius, a deacon. They were imprisoned during a period of persecution of Christians, potentially during the reign of Septimius Severus and forced into manual labor before being tortured and killed, most likely around the year 203 AD.
Saturninus of Toulouse was the first bishop of the city of Toulouse in France, and was known to have converted many with his preaching and by working miracles. One of the popular cults in the late Roman empire was the cult of Mithras. The cult of Mithras was a popular "mystery religion," which featured secret initiation rites and cultic sacrifice. A temple to Mithras had long stood at the heart of Toulouse but Saturninus’ presence and preaching offended the priests there. They seized him and told him to offer sacrifice to Mithras or face death. Saturninus chose death, saying, “I worship only one God, and I am ready to offer a sacrifice of praise.” They tied him to a bull that was to be sacrificed at the temple and then prodded the animal to run through the streets until Saturninus was dead. Saturninus was thought to have been martyred around the year 257 AD.
Churches were built over the bodies of both of these saints in their respective cities.
St. Saturninus, who showed great dedication to God, even under the threat of death—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Saturninus is in the public domain. Last accessed October 18, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
