Lord, I am not worthy to come under your roof

In today’s Gospel a Roman centurion gives us the words we now use to respond at Mass prior to receiving the Eucharist.  He had heard of Jesus and needed him to heal his slave who was very ill.  This is amazing when you think of the Roman occupation at the time of Jesus.  The Roman soldiers were probably considered an enemy at the time.  They had occupied the land and were ruling what the Jewish people believed to be their own land.    This centurion must have been a good man as “he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us” and he had concern for the health and welfare of his slave.   He must have been a good neighbor, respecting the people who served under him and also the people of Israel.  He must have conversed with them and come to know the story of Jesus.   Through these stories he developed a faith to come to Jesus to ask for help.     Jesus came for the people of Israel, but he also came for the salvation of all people who would come to know and believe in him.    We can also be the people who can bring Jesus to those who don’t know him.  By being friend with people at work, our neighbor, and those we recreate with, and modeling Christ in our lives and also telling them stories of those whose lives have changed because of Jesus.   We can help those who some may consider to be “enemies” or outside of the faith, to become models of faith for us.