Gospel of Matthew 8:5-11
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.".....When Jesus heard this he was amazed....
We read in the bible about disciples and crowds amazed by Jesus' miracles and teachings. How thrilling (and a little scary) to see Christ give sight to the blind and raise people from the dead! I wish I witnessed the surprise in everyone's eyes at a healing event. Experienced the shear joy of a miracle taking place. Viewed Jesus' smile when helping someone in need.
Crowds are amazed. However, very few times do the sacred authors describe Jesus amazed.
Out of curiosity, I looked up how many times "Jesus amazed" is phrased in scripture. I found it referenced in two bible stories. The first one is the "Healing of the Centurion's Servant" as described in today's gospel reading (similar version in Luke 7:2-3, 6-10). Jesus is greatly amazed at the faith of the Centurion. In comparison, the second bible story "The Rejection at Nazareth" (Mark 6:5-6) Jesus is amazed by the people's lack of faith. What an interesting contrast.....
Is God amazed by our good actions and deeds? Or is God amazed by our lack of faith and evil doings?
How can we amaze Christ in more positive and
extraordinary ways? We can attend Mass every Sunday, pray the rosary, say blessings before each meal, say our prayers, go to confession monthly, or even volunteer in a church ministry. Yes, these are all great things but I think of them as the ordinary, basic requirements of a practicing Catholic. These practices amaze our friends and our loved ones if we're devout. However, do they necessarily amaze Christ? They do amaze, but I think so much better can be done. Let's amaze our Lord to the point of enchantment and spiritual ecstasy.
What I think our Lord would be truly amazed and surprised by in our modern-day world include the following:
1. Believers making a 110% effort to live Christian lives adhering to godly principles instead of worldly, secularized ones.
2. A complete end to the destruction of life through unnatural means (abortion, euthanasia, death penalty, suicide, etc.).
3. A refocus on religion as the moral compass of society.
4. A dedication to the caring for our earth and environment.
5. The healing of the family unit - focus on traditional marriage with less divorce and broken families.
6. The atheist converted to a theist!
Let's amaze Our Lord during this Season of Advent in the good things we do for ourselves and others!
What I think our Lord would be truly amazed and surprised by in our modern-day world include the following:
1. Believers making a 110% effort to live Christian lives adhering to godly principles instead of worldly, secularized ones.
2. A complete end to the destruction of life through unnatural means (abortion, euthanasia, death penalty, suicide, etc.).
3. A refocus on religion as the moral compass of society.
4. A dedication to the caring for our earth and environment.
5. The healing of the family unit - focus on traditional marriage with less divorce and broken families.
6. The atheist converted to a theist!
7. People of various religions making an effort to co-exist peacefully, understanding one another with God as the primary focus no matter what theology they believe.
8. Turning away from our old selfish habits and engaging in new healthy ones.
9. Dedicating ourselves to life-long learning, catechesis, and spiritual enrichment. Knowing our faith and understanding how God "works" is amazing on its own.
10. Loving God first and foremost above all else!
Let's amaze Our Lord during this Season of Advent in the good things we do for ourselves and others!
-J.
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