In today’s reflection on the daily mass readings, Fr Richard considers what happens when someone usually considered an outsider shows profound insights and is welcomed in. How can we learn from such people?
Readings for Monday of the 1st week of Advent: Isaiah 4.2-6; Psalm 122.1-4, 8-8; Matthew 8.5-11. Text of readings can be found here.
For those old enough to remember, the 1990s was a decade of dramatic change following many years of a static world order or seemingly intractable conflicts. The Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc collapsed; the Good Friday agreement paved the way for peace in Northern Ireland; and in South Africa, Nelson Mandela was released from the prison, and then went on to become the country’s first black president. For 27 years Mandela had been the outsider, kept out of public view but very much a symbol of the struggle against apartheid. And then, following the first multi-racial elections of 1994, he suddenly became the insider, the leader charged with bringing his country into a new era.
Today’s Gospel features someone who would have been considered an outsider by the Jews of Jesus’ day. The centurion is a foreigner; most likely a Gentile; and a representative of the oppressive Roman Empire. And yet, regarding his faith, Jesus declares him to be an insider: “nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this”. The centurion’s great faith, trusting that Jesus’ word rather than his physical presence will heal his servant, prompts Jesus to announce that all those previously considered outsiders from Israel will have a place in God’s kingdom: “… many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob…”
As Advent begins, let us take to heart the message of today’s Gospel. Let us seek to build a truly inclusive society and church, where all have an honoured place, regardless of background. And let us be on the look out for those usually considered outsiders. You never know, like the centurion, they might be able to offer us a powerful example of faith, or profound insights, which might just end up changing our life.
South Cardiff Ministry Area 