JESUS IS SURPRISED BY DEEP FAITH.

JESUS IS SURPRISED BY A DEMONSTRATION OF STRONG FAITH.

"As he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, beseeching him  and saying,

"Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, in terrible distress."

  And he said to him, "I will come and heal him."

But the centurion answered him,

"Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.




For I am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one,

'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."

When Jesus heard him, he marveled, and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.

I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 8: 5 - 11).

Monday 1st December 2025 of the First Week of Advent.

Why does Jesus praise the faith of the Centurion?

Faith is a rare commodity and one of the greatest gifts of God.  The opposite of faith is Unbelief and Doubt.

How does faith work?
Jesus said to the Centurion:  “I will come and cure him.”
The Centurion heard this and believed.
  The faith of the Centurion is much deeper.  He said to Jesus for example: 'No need to come to my house. I am not worthy to host you. Just heal my servant with a word said right here, right now. I understand how authority works.'

How  Faith work.

Faith comes from hearing and believing the promises of God.
As you obey the Divine Word or Command your faith is activated.

The Roman Centurion became a model of faith for the Church.
This is why we use his words before Holy Communion.

When you hear these from the priest:
“Blessed are you who are invited to the Supper of the Lord,”
It is an opportunity for you to exercise your faith.
You can answer: I am indeed blessed to be here. Thank You Jesus.

The Blessed Virgin Mary is a model of confidence in prayer.
At the Marriage feast in Cana, she asked Jesus to perform a miracle to relieve the embarrassing shortage of wine.
Jesus appeared reluctant. Mary told the stewards:
"Do whatever He tells you." She was confident Jesus will comply with the wishes of His mother

Here are 7 examples of demonstration of Faith from the Gospels to reflect on this Advent:

1. The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Annunciation.
2. The shepherds at the Nativity.
3. The three Magi at the Hut of the Holy Family.
4. Simeon and Anna at the Presentation.
5. The Calling of Matthew and Zacchaeus.
6. The Good Thief at the Crucifixion.
7. The Roman Soldier at the Crucifixion.

What is the common factor in all these 7 cases?

They heard about the power of Jesus. They believed. They acted with confidence. They got a miracle.

The Roman Centurion became a model of faith for the Church. This is why we use his words before Holy Communion.

When you hear these from the priest: “Blessed are you who are invited to the Supper of the Lord,” It is an opportunity for you to exercise your faith. You can answer: I am indeed blessed to be here. Thank You Jesus.



Happy Advent!

"Why do you think I have spoken to you so often of My Eucharistic Face? It is because “face” signifies “presence.” The devotion to My Eucharistic Face is the remedy to the loss of faith in My real presence that has swept through My Church at every level, extinguishing the fire of Eucharistic charity and causing even My elect, My priests, to grow cold and distant from Me. This is My word to you tonight and this is why I brought you to this place. Any loneliness you may feel is an invitation to seek Me out in the Sacrament of My divine friendship and to console My Eucharistic Heart." (IN SINU JESU, Sunday, October 19, 2008 Saint Paul of the Cross).

December is the Month the Church honors the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

What is the Immaculate Conception?

"The Immaculate Conception is the dogma that the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first instant of her conception in the womb of her mother Saint Anne, was preserved by God from all stain of original sin in view of the future merits of Jesus Christ. It refers to Mary’s conception, not to Jesus’ conception, and teaches that she was in a state of sanctifying grace from the beginning of her existence so as to be a perfectly prepared mother for the incarnate Son."  (Catholic.com).

For the Immaculate Conception Devotions and Prayers and Prayer intentions click the link below:

http://seekfirst.blogspot.com/2023/11/novena-of-immaculate-conception.html?m=1