Opening Prayer:
+Lord, open our lips. And we shall praise your holy name.
We celebrate the memorial of your Death and Resurrection, Lord, and we offer you the Bread of life and the Chalice of salvation. We give thanks that you have held us worthy to stand in your presence and minister to you.
May your Body and Blood make us one with you. May it make us into the people that you have created us to be.
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully.”
He said to him, “I will come and cure him.”
The centurion said in reply, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the kingdom of heaven, but the children of the kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”
And Jesus said to the centurion, “You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you.” And at that very hour [his] servant was healed.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Reflection:
Jesus, we, too, are unworthy to have you enter under the roofs of our mouths and into the depths of our being. Yet, despite our unworthiness, you invite us to Your heavenly banquet to eat of the Bread of Life. May our partaking of Your Precious Body and Blood redeem us, restore us and bring us to everlasting life.
Closing Prayer:
Lord, please come to us in the Eucharist and heal us as you healed the centurion's servant; only say the word and our souls shall be healed. You are the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are we who are called to the supper of the Lamb:
Our Father...
Lord, bless us, keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.+
Closing Song:
