Monday of the
Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary time
(I Corinthians 11:17-26.33; Luke 7:1-10)
Pope Francis has requested more consideration for couples
in irregular marriages. In his
exhortation The Joy of Love he
acknowledges that sometimes people find themselves in difficult
situations. Perhaps they had married without
due consideration of what they were doing the first time. Or maybe they cannot leave a second union
without causing grave injustice. Francis
does not consider their cases as hopeless.
Rather he outlines various possibilities to integrate these couples into
Church life. In today’s gospel we can
see the centurion in a situation akin to these couples.
The centurion who asks Jesus for help has shown himself
to care about others. He not only is solicitous
for his servant but also has built a synagogue for the people. He also expresses
a faith in the God of Israel by seeking out Jesus, God’s prophet. One may ask, “Should he not become a Jew then
and even a disciple of Jesus?” Perhaps
he doesn’t because that would end his military career and the support he owes
his family. In any case, Jesus does not
accuse him of lacking conviction but recognizes his faith.
This gospel teaches us more than the desire to trust in
Jesus. It gives us a glimpse of the need
for understanding of those in irregular situations. It further urges us to dialogue with these
people so that we may mutually enrich our faith and increase our love.
