The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge our understanding of authority as Jesus acts to heal a Roman soldier in occupied Israel.
The Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is a later addition to the oracles of Isaiah.
* [4:2–6] Usually judged as a later addition to the oracles of Isaiah. It relieves the threatening tone of the surrounding chaps. 3 and 5.
* [4:2] Branch: the term (Heb. semah) that is sometimes used of the ideal Davidic king of the future (cf. Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zec 3:8; 6:12). However, the parallel “fruit of the land” does not favor that usage here.
* [4:3] Inscribed for life: in God’s list of the elect; cf. Ex 32:32. (Isaiah, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 122 is sung by pilgrims obeying the law to visit Jerusalem.
* [Psalm 122] A song of Zion, sung by pilgrims obeying the law to visit Jerusalem three times on a journey. The singer anticipates joining the procession into the city (Ps 122:1–3). Jerusalem is a place of encounter, where the people praise God (Ps 122:4) and hear the divine justice mediated by the king (Ps 122:5). The very buildings bespeak God’s power (cf. Ps 48:13–15). May the grace of this place transform the people’s lives (Ps 122:6–9)! (Psalms, PSALM 122 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of Matthew, proclaims Jesus healing of a Centurion’s Servant.
* [8:5–13] This story comes from Q (see Lk 7:1–10) and is also reflected in Jn 4:46–54. The similarity between the Q story and the Johannine is due to a common oral tradition, not to a common literary source. As in the later story of the daughter of the Canaanite woman (Mt 15:21–28) Jesus here breaks with his usual procedure of ministering only to Israelites and anticipates the mission to the Gentiles.
* [8:5] A centurion: a military officer commanding a hundred men. He was probably in the service of Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee; see note on Mt 14:1.
* [8:8–9] Acquainted by his position with the force of a command, the centurion expresses faith in the power of Jesus’ mere word.
* [8:10] In no one in Israel: there is good textual attestation (e.g., Codex Sinaiticus) for a reading identical with that of Lk 7:9, “not even in Israel.” But that seems to be due to a harmonization of Matthew with Luke.
* [8:11–12] Matthew inserts into the story a Q saying (see Lk 13:28–29) about the entrance of Gentiles into the kingdom and the exclusion of those Israelites who, though descended from the patriarchs and members of the chosen nation (the children of the kingdom), refused to believe in Jesus. There will be wailing and grinding of teeth: the first occurrence of a phrase used frequently in this gospel to describe final condemnation (Mt 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). It is found elsewhere in the New Testament only in Lk 13:28. (Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)
Mirielle Mason comments that the faith and trust thing is difficult.
How difficult must it have been for him to approach Jesus, not knowing what animosity he might face. But Jesus does not receive him with bias, rather He praises him for a faithfulness unlike what He has seen in Israel. I am sure that ruffled some feathers. Imagine an outsider being praised for such qualities? The centurion also approached with humility, seeking help not for himself but for another. He was trying to be a good steward of those who were his responsibility. He trusted the Lord to take care of his servant.
To conclude, I ask God to help us be good stewards of our relationships. May we have the courage to invite God into our lives, and help us to trust that through His unconditional love for us, He will lead us on the right path. (Mason, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Welcoming the Lord Jesus with expectant faith and humility,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"When the Lord promised to go to the centurion's house to heal his servant, the centurion answered, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.' By viewing himself as unworthy, he showed himself worthy for Christ to come not merely into his house but also into his heart. He would not have said this with such great faith and humility if he had not already welcomed in his heart the One who came into his house. It would have been no great joy for the Lord Jesus to enter into his house and not to enter his heart. For the Master of humility both by word and example sat down also in the house of a certain proud Pharisee, Simon, and though he sat down in his house, there was no place in his heart. For in his heart the Son of Man could not lay his head" (Matthew 8:20). (excerpt from SERMON 62.1) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 8:5-1 comments that Jesus didn’t remind the centurion of how he might have harassed or abused the people of Capernaum. He didn’t expose any of the sins that the centurion’s servant might have committed, either. He just healed him, because the centurion was willing to believe in him.
That’s where it starts—with faith. When we understand that Jesus came to save everyone, we will begin to believe him and to surrender our lives to him. Meditate on that as you prepare for Christmas this month. Let this gospel truth change the way you pray. Let it change the way you go about your life at home, at work, and everywhere else.
“Thank you, Lord, for the amazing gift of your birth—for all of us!” (Meditation on Matthew 8:5-1, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments that in the reading from Isaiah, God will purify Israel through great tribulation to bring them around so God can bless by reminding them of Exodus and how they will prosper again. In the Gospel, the centurion asks Jesus to heal but he speaks about authority and is generous to Jesus, the Jew who would be thought “unclean” in his house. Friar Jude notes this reference to a faith stronger than in Israel. He notes that in Matthew addressed to the Jewish population, we unexpectedly see faith among the Gentiles greater than among the Chosen People.
Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces author Stephanie Duncan Smith who writes of Mary’s “yes” to God as a choice for expansion over contraction, mirroring God’s own yes in creation.
We stretch by reaching toward each other—by reaching out from the solo act into the plural “we,” the pronoun God loves most. Life is long, the feast is wide, and we are meant for keeping it together. Our hearts are a muscle made in the image of God, made for connection. And there are so many ways of being kindred.
We enact our own advents every time we brave reaching beyond the borders of the self toward each other. Expansion is the anthem of anyone who is “brave enough to break your own heart.” [2] Every time we reach toward each other—considering the risk, compelled by love—we sing its anthem anew….[3]
Advent is nothing if not the story of beginnings, revealing a God who dares to expand, who chooses enlargement over happiness, no matter the chaos. This season shows us the astonishing view of a God gone radial, one who will never stop reaching toward his beloved, no matter the risks. And so, in the true spirit of Advent, we find our courage to chance. [4] (Rohr, n.d.)
We implore the Spirit to guide us in our understanding of authority as a vehicle to demonstrate faith rather than a technique to impose our will on others.
References
Isaiah, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 1, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/isaiah/4?2
Mason, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved December 1, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-december-1-2025
Matthew, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 1, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/8?
Meditation on Matthew 8:5-1. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved December 1, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/12/01/1437647/
Psalms, PSALM 122 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved December 1, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/122?1
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved December 1, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/expanding-beyond-ourselves/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Many Will Sit at Table in the Kingdom of God. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved December 1, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/
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