The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today remind us of our connection in Christ to all people.
The reading from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians reveals concern about abuses at the Lord’s Supper and shares the words of the Institution of the Lord’s Supper.
* [11:17–34] Paul turns to another abuse connected with the liturgy, and a more serious one, for it involves neglect of basic Christian tradition concerning the meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Paul recalls that tradition for them and reminds them of its implications.
* [11:19] That…those who are approved among you may become known: Paul situates their divisions within the context of the eschatological separation of the authentic from the inauthentic and the final revelation of the difference. The notion of authenticity-testing recurs in the injunction to self-examination in view of present and future judgment (1 Cor 11:28–32).
* [11:23–25] This is the earliest written account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament. The narrative emphasizes Jesus’ action of self-giving (expressed in the words over the bread and the cup) and his double command to repeat his own action. (1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11, n.d.)
Psalm 40 is a thanksgiving for deliverance and a prayer for help.
* [Psalm 40] A thanksgiving (Ps 40:2–13) has been combined with a lament (Ps 40:14–17) that appears also in Ps 70. The psalmist describes the rescue in spatial terms—being raised up from the swampy underworld to firm earth where one can praise God (Ps 40:2–4). All who trust God will experience like protection (Ps 40:5–6)! The Psalm stipulates the precise mode of thanksgiving: not animal sacrifice but open and enthusiastic proclamation of the salvation just experienced (Ps 40:7–11). A prayer for protection concludes (Ps 40:12–17). (Psalms, PSALM 40, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus heals the Centurion’s servant.
* [7:1–10] This story about the faith of the centurion, a Gentile who cherishes the Jewish nation (Lk 7:5), prepares for the story in Acts of the conversion by Peter of the Roman centurion Cornelius who is similarly described as one who is generous to the Jewish nation (Acts 10:2). See also Acts 10:34–35 in the speech of Peter: “God shows no partiality…whoever fears him and acts righteously is acceptable to him.” See also notes on Mt 8:5–13 and Jn 4:43–54.
* [7:2] A centurion: see note on Mt 8:5.
* [7:6] I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof: to enter the house of a Gentile was considered unclean for a Jew; cf. Acts 10:28. (Luke, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)
Cindy Murphy McMahon comments that Paul’s admonishments to the new Christians in Corinth and Luke’s recounting of Jesus’ healing of the Roman centurion’s servant have one thing in common. They both contain words that are very familiar to us because we either say them or hear them at every Mass that is offered, no matter where we may be.
To me these two examples of words having lasting impact tell me: Don’t worry about the outcome of your words or actions when you are trying to do a good thing. God will bring them to full fruition in God’s time. God sees the big picture, the master plan, and has more lasting, and consequential, purposes than we could ever imagine.
Will things we do, say or write be communicated in ways that will change millions of hearts and minds for millennia to come? Maybe not; but, maybe. However, most importantly, they will absolutely fulfill God’s purposes and further the Kingdom of God. You can trust that. (Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “The power of Divinity and the grace of humility,” by Ambrose of Milan, 339-397 A.D.
"How great is the sign of divine humility, that the Lord of heaven by no means disdained to visit the centurion's servant! Faith is revealed in deeds, but humanity is more active in compassion. Surely he did not act this way because he could not cure in his absence, but in order to give you a form of humility for imitation he taught the need to defer to the small and the great alike. In another place he says to the ruler, 'Go, your son lives' (John 4:50), that you may know both the power of Divinity and the grace of humility. In that case he refused to go to the ruler's son, lest he seem to have had regard for riches. In this case he went himself lest he seem to have despised the humble rank of the centurion's servant. All of us, slave and free, are one in Christ (Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11)." (excerpt from EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 5.84) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 7:1-10 comments that the words are almost identical to the prayer we pray at every Mass before receiving Holy Communion. But as you read these words today, don’t let them slip by unnoticed. Think of the great trust shown by the Roman centurion who first spoke them. As a Gentile, someone outside the Mosaic covenant, he didn’t consider himself worthy to approach Jesus. And yet he still believed Jesus could heal his servant.
“Lord, the centurion’s faith not only pleased you, but it also impressed you. I want to imitate his humility and confidence. So whenever I come to you, whether to receive you in the Eucharist, to pray in your presence before the tabernacle, or to turn my heart to you in my daily circumstances, help me have that same disposition.”
“Lord, give me the faith of the centurion, who believed in you though he couldn’t see you. Jesus, I trust in you.” (Meditation on Luke 7:1-10, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the complaints of Paul about the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in Corinth. He reflects on the development of the Eucharistic Formula, the horizontal dimension of the Eucharist and remembrance of and Anamnesis in Christian Liturgy. Friar Jude reminds us of the gracious example of the Centurion in recognizing the difficulty of ritual cleanliness for Jews in entering his house.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares the reflection of Archbishop Desmond Tutu (1931–2021) and his daughter Mpho Tutu van Furth who focus on our fragile humanity, the good and bad that we are all capable of, as the entry point for forgiveness.
We are, every one of us, so very flawed and so very fragile. I know that, were I born a member of the white ruling class at that time in South Africa’s past, I might easily have treated someone with the same dismissive disdain with which I was treated. I know, given the same pressures and circumstances, I am capable of the same monstrous acts as any other human on this achingly beautiful planet. It is this knowledge of my own frailty that helps me find my compassion, my empathy, my similarity, and my forgiveness for the frailty and cruelty of others. (Rohr, n.d.)
We are reminded by promptings of the Spirit that humility and graciousness are pathways to connection with others in love and compassion.
References
Daily Reflection Of Creighton University's Online Ministries. (n.d.). OnlineMinistries. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/
Luke, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/7
Meditation on Luke 7:1-10. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/09/12/487313/
1 Corinthians, CHAPTER 11. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1corinthians/11?17
Psalms, PSALM 40. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/40?7
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: 2022. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/essential-humility-2022-09-12/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 12, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=sep12
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