"But say the word, and let my servant be healed."

Our Lady of Grace (Gozo, Malta, Capuchin Friary)

The centurion who approached Jesus was not only courageous, but faith-filled as well. He risked the ridicule of his cronies by seeking help from an itinerant preacher from Galilee, and well as mockery from the Jews. Nonetheless, he approached Jesus with confidence and humility. Augustine notes that the centurion regarded himself as unworthy to receive the Lord into his house: "Humility was the door through which the Lord entered to take full possession of one whom he already possessed." The centurion was an extraordinary man because he loved his slave. In the Roman world slaves were treated like animals rather than people. The centurion was also an extraordinary man of faith. He believed that Jesus had the power to heal his beloved slave. Jesus commends him for his faith and immediately grants him his request.

"He laid his hands on every one and healed them"

Scripture: Luke 4:38-44

Jesus' disciples freely brought their troubles to him because they found him ready and able to deal with any difficulty, affliction, or sickness which they encountered. When Simon Peter brought Jesus to his home for the Sabbath meal (right after Jesus preached in the synagogue in Capernaum), his mother-in-law was instantly healed because Jesus heard Simon's prayer. Jesus could not avoid drawing a crowd wherever he went. No one who asked Jesus for help was left disappointed. Jesus' numerous healings and exorcisms demonstrated the power and authority of his word, the "good news of the kingdom of God." When he rebuked the fever, it immediately left. When he rebuked the demons, they left as well. Why did the demons shudder at Jesus' presence? They recognized that he was the Christ, the Son of God and that he had power to destroy their kingdom by releasing those bound by it. Jesus came to set us free from bondage to sin and evil.

Mother Theresa intercede for us like you we too may serve the poor and find christ in them.

May God extent his healing power

Dear Bro.Mauro Jòhri our prayers are with you when you go for operation of your eyes. May God extent his healing hands on you. Wish you get well soon.

"His word was with authority"

Scripture: Luke 4:31-37

When Jesus taught he spoke with authority. He spoke the word of God as no one had spoken it before. When the Rabbis taught they supported their statements with quotes from other authorities. The prophets spoke with delegated authority — Thus says the Lord. When Jesus spoke he needed no authorities to back his statements. He was authority incarnate — the Word of God made flesh. When he spoke, God spoke. When he commanded even the demons obeyed. If demons, the fallen angels, have faith in the Son of God, how much more should we believe the gospel with the full assent of our minds and hearts and entrust our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ? If we approach God's word submissively, with an eagerness to do everything the Lord desires, we are in a much better position to learn what God wants to teach us through his word.
The power of Jesus word is to bring healing, restoration, and freedom from sin and affliction.

"No prophet is acceptable in his own country"

Scripture: Luke 4:16-30

It was customary for Jesus to go weekly to the synagogue to worship and on occasion to read the scriptures and comment on them to the people. His home town folks listened with rapt attention on this occasion because they had heard about the miracles he had performed in other towns. What sign would he do in his home town? Jesus startled them with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honour among his own people. He then angered them when he complimented the gentiles who seemed to have shown more faith in God than the "chosen ones" of Israel.

"If you sit in the lowest place ...you will be honoured in the presence of all"

Scripture: Luke 14: 1,7-14

Jesus' parable reinforces the teaching of Proverbs: Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, "Come up here," than to be put lower in the presence of the prince (Prov. 25:6-7).

What is true humility and why should we make it a characteristic mark of our life and action? True humility is not feeling bad about yourself, or having a low opinion of yourself, or thinking of yourself as inferior to others. True humility frees us from preoccupation with ourselves, whereas a low self-opinion tends to focus our attention on ourselves. Humility is truth in self-understanding and truth in action. Viewing ourselves truthfully, with sober judgement, means seeing ourselves the way God sees us (Psalm 139:1- 4). A humble person makes a realistic assessment of himself or herself without illusion or pretense to be something he or she is not. The humble regard themselves neither smaller nor larger than they truly are. True humility frees us to be ourselves and unbinds us from delusions caused by pride, vanity, and flattery. A humble person does not have to wear a mask or put on a false smile to win the favour and approval of others. The honest humble person is not swayed by accidentals, such as fame, talent, success, or failure.

Scripture tells us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. The Lord Jesus never refuses the plea of a humble seeker who yearns for his love, truth, and help. He is the true Master Servant who washes our feet and supplies our daily bread.

"The master will settle his account with them"

Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

The parable speaks first of the Master's trust in his servants. While he goes away he leaves them with his money to use as they think best. While there were no strings attached, this was obviously a test to see if the Master's workers would be industrious and reliable in their use of the money entrusted to them.The master rewards those who are industrious and faithful and he punishes those who sit by idly and who do nothing with his money. The essence of the parable seems to lie in the servants' conception of responsibility. Each servant entrusted with the master's money was faithful up to a certain point. The servant who buried the master's money was irresponsible. One can bury seeds in the ground and expect them to become productive because they obey natural laws.Coins, however, do not obey natural laws. They obey economic laws and become productive in circulation. The master expected his servants to be productive in the use of his money.
There is an important lesson here for us. No one can stand still for long in the Christian life. We either get more or we lose what we have. We either advance towards God or we slip back. Do you earnestly seek to serve God with the gifts, talents, and graces he has given to you?