The reading, Gospel and Homily from Mass celebrated by Father Richard this evening
Readings: https://universalis.com/mass.htm
Homily: Confident trust in the Lord
The healing of the court
official’s son teaches us to trust in the Lord always. Some in Jesus’ home region
of Galilee had rejected him as a prophet. But amid this unbelief, there were
people who did believe in Him – there was the steadfast faith of the royal
official.
The man demonstrates the
confidence we should have in the Lord to hear and answer our pleas. He asks Jesus:
“Sir, come down before my child dies.” This request made of the Lord demonstrates
the official’s confidence in Him on two levels. Firstly, that Jesus has the
power to heal his son; and secondly the immense conviction in Jesus’
willingness and longing to restore him to health. At the drop of a hat, the
court official believes immediately what Jesus tells him: “Go home, your son will
live.” Without hesitation, he does what Jesus tells him, quietly trusting that
all will be well.
It’s that same steadfast and
unwavering trust in the Lord that we need at this time. When we daily plead
with the Lord to end this pestilence, to heal the sick, to calm the anxious, to
comfort the lonely, we must believe confidently that the Lord will answer and
act on our prayers, in accordance with his Divine Wisdom.
God already knows our needs.
Our prayer of petition is our act of faith in Him. It’s our demonstration of confidence
that He will hear and restore us. May we follow the example of the court official
as we make our humble petitions this night, confident in God’s loving mercy and
consolation.
