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The Light of the World
“The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength; the right hand of the Lord hath exalted me.
I shall not die, but live, and shall declare the works of the Lord” (Offertory). These works the
Lord has shown us in His sacraments. In baptism and in the sacrament of penance He cleanses
our souls; in Mass and Holy Communion He strengthens us to keep us well. “I shall not die,
but live,” by the mercy and power of God.
I believe and I hope that I also shall be numbered among those who “shall come from
the east and the west and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom
of heaven” (Gospel). With us, the Gentiles, “the Lord hath built up Sion,” the Church. “The
Gentiles shall fear Thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory” (Gradual). We
are thankful for His grace and unmerited love; but we should regret that we have not always
responded to His grace and love.
Prayer
Almighty and eternal God, graciously look upon our infirmity and stretch forth the right hand
of Thy majesty to protect us. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Monday
“Amen I say to you, I have not found so great faith in Israel” (Gospel). The chosen people
had received revelations, the prophets, and the Law; they had the Scriptures, the temple,
and their sacrifices. All these things should have prepared them for the Savior; but most
of the Jews did not believe in Him. Many of the Gentiles, however, of whom the Roman
centurion is an example, had faith in Him. The centurion did not feel that it was necessary
for Christ to visit his servant in order to cure him. “Only say the word, and my servant shall
be healed.” And our Lord, admiring his faith, replies: “Amen, I say to you, I have not found
so great faith in Israel.”
Jesus requires faith of those who would serve Him. He has hidden his divinity under the veil
of His humanity. He is dependent on His mother and His friends for the necessities of life; He
is subject to poverty and suffering. His divinity is discernible only to the eye of faith; and such
faith He requires of all His disciples. “Blessed are they that have not seen and have believed” ( Jn
20:29). He has not found this kind of faith among the chosen people. The Jews were anticipating
a Savior who would free them from the galling yoke of the Roman army. They sought a Messias
who could re-establish their political independence and promote their material prosperity.
In the many trials and sufferings which the nation had undergone, it had lost sight of its true
purpose. Absorbed in its temporal cares, it had forgotten, in spite of the Scriptures and all the
prophets, that it had been chosen for a divine and eternal destiny. So far had their unbelief gone
that, when they were called upon to acknowledge their King, the Jews demanded His death
from Pilate, a Gentile. The chosen people gave up their inheritance, and it was transferred to
the Gentiles, to whom we belong.
The Roman officer, like the Magi at Epiphany, speaks as the representative of the Gentile
world. With them we confess today, “Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16).
We give our complete assent to His divinity, to His right to the title of King, to the doctrine
which He has preached, and to His commandments and His sacraments. We are not alone in
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