A simple Advent homily on Matthew 8:5 -11, inviting us to welcome Jesus with the humility of the centurion.(1-12-25)
Praise be to Jesus Christ
There was a young girl who wanted to learn music. She already knew a small song and went to a great master, saying, I know this song well. I need only ten minutes of your time to correct a small mistake. The master agreed. Ten minutes became one hour. One hour became a whole day. Even after two days, she could not get the tune right. The master finally said, My dear, it is easy to fill an empty heart, but it is very difficult to teach a person who thinks that I already know everything. Only when she accepted this truth her real learning began.
The Gospel today shows us something very similar in the life of the centurion. Here is a man who has authority: soldiers stand under him. If he says go, they go. If he says come, they come. He could have approached Jesus with pride. He could have shown his position and power. But instead he comes with deep humility and speaks the words we repeat at every Mass. Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof.
These are simple words, but they open heaven. When we come close to God we begin to see how small we are. When we are far from God we begin to imagine that we are holy by ourselves. The centurion stands before Jesus and realises his nothingness. And Jesus marvels at his faith. A pagan soldier becomes a model for all believers because of one thing: humility.
The first reading, of today, from Isaiah speaks about a day when the Lord will cover his people with glory and protect them under his presence. The centurion becomes a living example of that prophecy. He is not from the chosen people, yet the glory of God rests on him because his heart is open. Isaiah’s promise shows that God’s grace does not depend on tribe or position but on the humility of the heart.
The key word we can carry with us today is worthy. Advent is a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. But our preparation is not mainly about sweets, lights and cleaning the house. It is about preparing the heart. It is about saying again and again, Lord, I am not worthy, yet come into my life. This is not a prayer of fear but a prayer of love. It is the cry of a heart that knows its need for God.
The saints understood this deeply. Saint Teresa of Kolkata used to say, I am only a little pencil in the hand of God. Saint Augustine taught, All good in me is the work of God’s grace. Saint Therese of Lisieux believed that her only strength was her littleness. Their greatness came not from power or talent but from humility. God filled them because they emptied themselves.
In our families this truth is very important. Many homes suffer not because of lack of money or comfort but because of pride. A small fight becomes big because nobody wants to say I am sorry. Children sometimes feel they already know everything. Parents sometimes feel they cannot be corrected. But when humility enters a family, peace returns. A gentle admission of weakness can heal wounds that have been there for years. Just as the young girl in the story learned only after humbling herself, we in our homes grow only when we allow humility to guide us.
As we step into Advent let us keep this one sentence very close to our heart: I am not worthy. When we say it sincerely, Jesus enters. He enters our fear, our weakness, our wounds and our homes. A humble heart is like the manger in Bethlehem, simple and empty enough to hold the Lord.
Lord Jesus, I am not worthy, have mercy on me .
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God Bless…
This homily shines with remarkable spiritual depth and majestic clarity.
Your masterful use of the centurion’s humility resounds like a trumpet call to true holiness.
The weaving of Scripture, saints, and daily life displays a richness worthy of the finest Advent reflections.
Every line carries a dignified solemnity that lifts the heart toward God.
The final image of the humble heart as Bethlehem’s manger is nothing short of sublime.