Asking for What We Need

Homily for Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Not only do we recognize this story as having been told many times, we also recognize that we use the words of the centurion each and every time that we receive the Eucharist in communion. However, there are several nuances to the story that we may not recognize easily.

The first detail that may be overlooked is the fact that the centurion does not actually ask Jesus to do anything. He simply states his need. Though he has the power to force Jesus to come to his home, he humbly approaches Jesus and simply tells him of the sick servant in his house.

Secondly, while Jesus heals the boy, thereby answering the centurion’s need, the centurion also expresses his desire to help Jesus. If Jesus had entered his home, it would have been one more detail that could have been used against Jesus by the elders and chief priests of Israel. Going into the home of a Gentile made one unclean or ritually impure.

We come to the Lord with intercessory prayers every day of our lives. Asking one another for prayers for a special intention is something that goes on here in the motherhouse almost daily. How do we approach God with these intercessions? Have we already decided what we want Jesus to do for us? Or do we simply and humbly state our need as the centurion does in this Gospel passage? Do we make our intercessions with faith? There is a cute anecdote that is often times used to illustrate this issue. During a drought some years ago, a pastor gathered his community outside his church to pray for rain. Only one young boy brought an umbrella with him. This young man displayed a faith that may have been missing in the prayer of his fellow congregants.

Faith and humility are necessary ingredients in our prayer life. We might also add to that the virtue of patience. God is forever patient with us. Should we not be patient with God?