One Minute Reflection – 17 September – Today’s Gospel: Luke 7:1-10 – Monday of the Twenty-fourth week in Ordinary Time and the Memorial of St Robert Bellarmine SJ (1542-1621) and St Hildegard von Bingen OSB (1098-1179) both Doctors of the Church
“Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.”…Luke7:6b-7
REFLECTION – “This man was a pagan, for the Jewish people were occupied by the Imperial Roman army at that time. So it was as a centurion in Judaea that he was commanding his soldiers…
But our Lord, although he was in the midst of the people of Judaea, was already talking about the Church being spread all over the earth wherever His apostles were to be sent (Mt 8:11). Indeed, the gentiles believed in Him without having see Him… Our Lord did not physically enter the centurion’s house and, even though absent in body, He was present in majesty and healed both that house and its faith. Similarly, our Lord stood physically only amongst the people of Judaea -other peoples did not see His being born of a virgin, or suffering, or walking, or subject to the condition of human nature, or carrying out divine miracles. None of these things were done amongst the gentiles and yet it was amongst them that what was said about Him was fulfilled: “A people I did not know have served me.” In what way did they serve Him? The Psalm continues: “As soon as they heard me, they obeyed me” (Ps 18[17]:44-45).”…St Augustine (354-430) Father and Doctor of the Church
“When we go out to meet the Lord, we in some sense are masters of the moment. However, when we allow ourselves to be encountered by Him, He enters into us and renews us from within. This is what it means for Christ to come, to renew all things, to renew hearts, souls, lives, hope and the journey. We are on a journey of faith, like the faith of this centurion, to encounter the Lord and to allow ourselves to be encountered by Him.”…Pope Francis – Santa Marta, 2 December 2013
PRAYER – Lord God and holy Father, guard our faith we pray and grace us with Your mercy. Keep us every faithful to Your precepts and bring us to Your home, to look upon Your Face. May the prayers of Your saints assist us on our journey. In your untiring life of trust in God, St Hildegard von Bingen, you sought to make Him the goal of all and the love of all, please pray that we may imitate your zeal and love. St Robert Bellarmine, as you worked tirelessly for the salvation of souls, so now pray for us all, as tirelessly, that we may achieve eternal joy. We ask all this through Christ, our Lord with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
