Monday 3 December

St. Francis Xavier

Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 121 (122):1-2, 4-5, 6-9; Matthew 8:5-11

Willing to break barriers

In this story, part of a cluster of nine healing stories in Matthew 8-9, Jesus is willing to break barriers to go to the Roman officer’s place to heal his servant. As it turns out, Jesus heals from a distance. He praises the great faith of this Gentile. The healings of Jesus presuppose faith. Likewise, the presence, or absence, of faith surfaces, too, in our lives. We are invited to enter into this story in our imagination with faith-filled participation. How does faith enable me to be willing to break barriers in order to be with another?