1st Week of Advent 2024 - Monday - Climbing the Mountain

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the world and my soul will be healed.” 

How appropriate, that right at the beginning of Advent, we have this profound statement of humble faith of the Roman Centurion. “Lord, I am not worthy”

On one hand, these words confess our unworthiness to receive the holy one. Our lives our full of so many imperfections, so much weakness, that the words of St. Peter would be more appropriate, no? “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” I have so often turned away from grace, turned away from goodness. I am not worthy.

And yet, Advent celebrates that the Lord comes to us, draws near to us, not only despite our unworthiness, but because of it. We celebrate that God desires not that the sinner should perish, but that he might have eternal life. And so rather than turning away from us in disgust, God draws near to us, and becomes one of us.

In the reading from Isaiah, not only Isaiah, but all nations joyfully stream toward the Lord who has made his dwelling upon the holy mountain. During Advent, we celebrate how the Lord draws near to us, but also recognize that we must do our part to climb the Lord’s mountain, in order to draw near to him, and that is a source of great joy.

What are some ways we can draw near to the Lord this Advent?

Like the Centurion, we do well to make a confession of our unworthiness. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a beautiful way to prepare for the coming of Christ. By acknowledging our sins and receiving God’s forgiveness, we make room for His grace.

The words of the Centurion are also echoed in every Mass: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof”. Participating in every daily mass we can is one of the most profound ways we can enter climb the mountain of the Lord during Advent. For at Mass, we hear the voice of the Lord in our Advent scripture readings, and we are able to draw as close as we possibly can to the Lord while we are still on earth, in the worthy reception of Holy Communion.

Isaiah speaks of all nations streaming toward the Lord. We certainly grow in the Advent spirit when we help others draw near to the Lord as well: inviting them to mass, to prayer, to scripture study, and reaching out in love and generosity and small acts of kindness.

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord, that we may meet the Lord in love and joy, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.


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As we await with longing the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, we raise up our prayers of petitions.

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her repentant of sin and watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

 

1st Week of Advent 2021 - Monday - "Lord I am not worthy..."

 

“Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the world and my soul will be healed.”  

How appropriate, that right at the beginning of Advent, we have this profound statement of humble faith of the Roman Centurion. “Lord, I am not worthy”

This statement of faith has long been part of the Roman liturgy. We recite these words prior to our reception of holy communion. In fact, in the Old Rite, it would be recited three times, while striking the breast, “Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum dic verbum, et sanabitur animam meam”

For some of us, every day is Advent; for every day, while attending Mass, the Lamb of God is made present to us, and every day, we recite those words of the Centurion before the Lord’s Advent into our souls through the reception of Holy Communion.

One the one hand, these words confess our unworthiness to receive the holy one. Our lives our full of so many imperfections, so much weakness, that the words of St. Peter would be more appropriate, no? “Depart from me Lord, for I am a sinful man.” I have so often turned away from grace, turned away from goodness. I am not worthy. 

And yet, in the Mass, the Lord, present, seems to also echo that invitation made to the repentant: “Come to me, all of you, and I will refresh you.” Though I am so carnal and worldly, so unmortified in my passions, so full of concupiscence, so unguarded in my outward senses, so entangled in my vain imaginations, so negligent in cultivating my interior life, so sluggish in austerity and fervor, so selfish in generosity, so often deaf to the word of God, the Lord beckons me anyway.

While acknowledging our unworthiness, we also confidently acknowledge that by a mere word of his omnipotence, the Lord can heal and restore our diseased soul, to make it a fitting tabernacle for his divine presence.

As the Catechism explains: “Before so great a sacrament, the faithful can only echo humbly and with ardent faith the words of the centurion, Lord I am not worthy to receive” Like the centurion, we acknowledge our unworthiness to have Jesus enter under the roof of our souls. Yet just as the centurion believed Jesus was able to heal his servant, so we trust that Jesus can heal us as he becomes the intimate guest of our soul in Holy Communion.

The Centurion certainly sets the tone for Advent. What does it mean to stir up our faith this Advent? To deeply and profoundly consider our unworthiness to receive the Lord, and yet, at the same time, to confidently approach him, to invite him into our souls, knowing that he longs to make his dwelling in us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

 

As we await with longing the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, we raise up our prayers of petitions.

That Christ may visit his holy Church and always find her repentant of sin and watchful in prayer.

That Christ may fill the Pope, our Bishop, and all the clergy with spiritual gifts and graces.

That Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to His Holy Will.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, and ward off every affliction.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who bring salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.