“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (MT 8: 8-9)

The centurion expresses amazing faith in the power of Jesus’ mere word. He is the Word, and He uses His power to heal, to unite, to strengthen and to protect us and our relationships. One request from one believer results in such an amazing miracle, worthy to proclaim at every Mass for ages.

“Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“The LORD called me from birth, from my mother’s womb he gave me my name.” (IS 49: 1) 

Recognized and loved before anybody had any idea about my existence, “from my mother’s womb,” “he gave me my name” and designated me to a mission—to love. Different areas and different vocations but the same call—to love.

“You, child, will be called prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (MT 7: 21)

Our Lord came not only to do His Father’s will, but also to teach us about it. We pray for this everyday in the “Our Father” prayer: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” As loving Him is to keep His words, so true devotion is to do His will.

“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him and we will come to him.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“Standing by the column, the king made a covenant before the LORD that they would follow him and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees with their whole hearts and souls, thus reviving the terms of the covenant which were written in this book.” (2 KGS 23: 3)

If we plan to “follow him and observe his ordinances, statutes and decrees,” there is only one rule—to do it “with our whole hearts and souls.” Not only do we do good works, but we also do them well. Only a total gift of self makes us happy.

“Remain in me, as I remain in you, says the Lord; whoever remains in me will bear much fruit.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” (MT 7: 13-14)

We have two possible directions—to life or to destruction, and the difference starts with the gate: narrow or wide. This helps. When we see an easy entrance, “and those who enter through it are many,” we should stop and look for a new direction—“the road that leads to life.”

“I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” (MT 7: 1-2) 

This is not a prohibition against recognizing the faults of others but against passing judgment in a spirit of arrogance, forgetful of one’s own faults. We are called to protect, to defend and to show mercy, like Our Lord does always with us. More grace comes with mercy than with judgment because judgment only recognizes faults, but mercy also puts a medicine on them.

“The word of God is living and effective,  able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (LK 9: 23-24)

When we think and proceed in being a better gift of self (instead of receiving more from others) and when we “deny ourselves and take up our cross daily and follow” the example of Our Lord, who died for us that we have life and have it in abundance, then we can have real lives, which never end, just change location—from earth to heaven.

“My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” (MT 6: 33-34)

First things first—when we put God in first place, everything, naturally, will fall into its right place. Like in the work-life balance, it is not about work or life; it is not more work or more life; it is about doing God’s will: “seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” And His will says about work that we need to complete our work and protect our relationships. Our work and our lives should lead us closer to God.

“Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” (MT 6: 19-21)

Our lives are temporary here; we are born to live forever in heaven. Storing up our treasures here is not smart, “where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal.” This is not the most important motive; much more important is to “store up treasures in heaven” because of our hearts—“where your treasure is, there also will you heart be.” We prefer hearts looking for heaven, longing to be there, not for something destructible.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” (Gospel Acclamation) 

“You were destined, it is written, in time to come to put an end to wrath before the day of the LORD, to turn back the hearts of fathers toward their sons, and to re-establish the tribes of Jacob.” (SIR 48: 10)

All relationships in the family are so important. Without a strong and deep relationship between husband and wife, we can’t expect strong and deep relationships within the family. When a father’s heart protects the relationship with his son, we can expect all the best things not only in the family but also in society. Good societies start with good relationships in the family.

“You have received a spirit of adoption as sons through which we cry: Abba! Father!” (Gospel Acclamation)