Day 2: Lord, I am Not Worthy to Have You Enter Under My Roof
Matthew: 8:5-11
A centurion from Capernaum came to Jesus and asked from Him to heal his servant. Jesus says that He will come with him to heal the man. That is where we hear the centurion say these words: “ Lord, I am not worthy the have you enter under my roof.” Jesus exalts this man, but why? “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Mt 23:12). This centurion knows the chain of command. He tells the Lord, that he has soldiers, men, and slaves under him that will do his commands, but he also recognizes that he is under Jesus’s command. He has humbled Himself and acknowledges Jesus’s divinity.
In this time of year, let us follow the example of the centurion. Let us be humble. Let us humble ourselves. Pray to the Lord for humility. And if the Lord asks to still come into our houses, let us welcome Him humbly, still. Now is the time to prepare our hearts, minds, souls, and bodies for the reception of Our Lord. We are the Bride of Christ. Let us be open to Him, so that we might be able to be embraced strongly and fully by Him. Even if we have been preparing all our lives, our hearts might still say, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof.” In the Mass we hear this response before we receive the Eucharist. It is appropriate that we hear these words here, in Advent, for the coming of the Lord. In both scenarios we are receiving the full, true presence of God. Christmas can be seen as our first Eucharistic celebration with Mary as the first Eucharistic minister. Christ has come into our world and taken on substance. The one our ancestors waited for thousands of years to come into their world.
In this time of Advent, let us continue to prepare our hearts and start this new year orienting ourselves to Him.
“Insignificant man, escape from your everyday business for a short while. Hide for a moment from your restless thoughts. Break off from your cares and troubles and be less concerned about your tasks and labors. Make a little time for God and rest a while in Him.”
Saint Anselm
Prayer: Lord, help me to rest in You and to come to know You for who You are. Help me to encounter Your heart, this season, so that I may rejoice at Your coming and forever