“Lord, I am not worthy to have You enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed” – Matthew 8:8
As a child, my siblings and I enjoyed decorating our home for Christmas. My favorite task was unwrapping the Holy Family figurines for the small table-top stable from their year-old newspaper. My mother, my touchstone for my faith, would grudgingly allow me to place the three Wise Men with the group, although it was not yet Christmas. Baby Jesus, however, unwrapped from his newspaper, had to remain in a table drawer until Christmas Day. On Christmas Day, the first one of us six children to awake and remember that Baby Jesus was still in the drawer, placed Him in the manger. Even with wrapped gifts waiting, it was a powerful moment. Christ was here! Christmas had arrived! The small stable and figurines, worn from years of use, were transformed by the small representation of the Christ Child.
I am touched by the humility and trust of the centurion seeking aide from Christ for his ailing servant. He speaks for all of us as humans, not worthy but blessed and transformed by Christ’s presence in our worn world.
Christ, thank You for coming despite our unreadiness and our humanity. Open our hearts in love and hope as we prepare to welcome You into our lives once again.
Amen.
Dr. Catherine Bowes
To view the full Advent 2022 booklet in English, click here.
For Spanish, click here.
For French, click here.