Monday of the Twenty-Fourth Week of Ordinary Time

Lectio

Luke 7:1–10

Meditatio

“… I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof … but say the word.…”

   The centurion in today’s Gospel is an interesting character. He is part of the Roman occupying force, but he built the local synagogue. The Jewish elders respect him. A cynic might say the centurion was merely good at small-town politics, but then we see that he even cares about a dying slave in his household. This centurion is on the road of responding to God’s invitation. Yet he is more than just an enigmatic figure in the Gospel narrative, for we repeat his words at every celebration of Mass: I am not worthy … but say the word.…

   Grace—God’s life active in this world and in our lives—is a gift. God always has the first move. He created us in his image and likeness. With no prior merit or action on our part (we didn’t even exist) we are born into this world, already in the image of the Son. For those of us who were baptized as infants, this truth is carried even further. We were brought into God’s family, the Church, through no effort or merit on our part. It is all a gift—pure gift. The first question is, will I open up the gift, treasure it, and put it to good use? Well, obviously that has happened to some extent or I wouldn’t be here actively reflecting on the Liturgy of the Word for today. So then the question for me is not so much will I respond to God’s first move; I’ve made a second move. The real question is: who gets the third move? Has my response to God’s gracious invitation taken on a life of its own to the point where God has a minor role to play in the whole enterprise? Or do I bear in mind that there is no question of earning God’s favor or being worthy of his grace?

Oratio

   Yes, I am actively engaged in an exchange of gift and response with you, Lord. You have literally given your life for me, and you continue to pour your life of grace into my heart. I am given to you in Baptism and I want to continue giving my life to you in my daily words and actions. But I am overwhelmed at your generosity in entering into such an uneven relationship, Lord. You are God—and I am only your creature. I am not worthy of you, but your word heals this rift between us.

Contemplatio

   God always has the first move.

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ORDINARY GRACE Weeks 18–34: Daily Gospel Reflections (By the Daughters of St. Paul)