Gospel of the Sunday (Mt. 8:1–13)
At that time, when Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed Him. And behold, a leper came to Him, fell down before Him, and said: Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. Jesus stretched out His hand, touched him, and said: I will it; be thou made clean. And immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him: See that thou tell no one, but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses prescribed, for a testimony unto them.
And when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, beseeching Him and saying: Lord, my servant lieth sick of the palsy at home, grievously tormented. Jesus said to him: I will come and heal him. But the centurion answered and said: Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to one: Go, and he goeth; and to another: Come, and he cometh; and to my servant: Do this, and he doeth it.
When Jesus heard this, He marvelled, and said to those who followed Him: Amen I say to you, I have not found so great faith in Israel. And I say to you that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said to the centurion: Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And at that very hour his servant was healed.
(Mt. 8:2)
Commentary of Saint Jerome
Behold the humility of the leper and his obedience. He did not say: Cleanse me, but: If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. He attributes nothing to himself, but leaves everything to the will of Christ. Therefore the Lord cleanses him not only by a word, but also by a touch, that thou mayest understand that He is not defiled by uncleanness, but that uncleanness is consumed by Him.
But after He had healed him, He did not allow him to go about freely, nor did He permit the benefit received to lead to pride. On the contrary, He immediately brings him back to obedience: Go, He says, show thyself to the priest and offer the gift which Moses prescribed. What does this mean? That He neither abolishes the Law nor shows Himself as an adversary of the Law, but does all things so that both the Law is honoured and grace is made manifest.
And behold here again the obedience of the one who was healed: he does not object, he does not ask the reason, he does not say: Why should I go to the priest, now that I have been healed by Christ? But he obeys at once, and this very obedience becomes the testimony of his healing.
Thus Christ teaches that it is not sufficient to be healed if obedience does not follow; that a miracle does not suffice if humility is not added; but that through obedience and faith salvation is preserved.
(Mt. 8:8)
Commentary of Saint Augustine
That centurion, brethren, who besought the Lord Jesus on behalf of his servant, showed great faith and deep humility. For he did not say: Come and heal my servant, but: Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. See the humility, and understand the merit. By declaring himself unworthy, he was made worthy; for he did not exclude Christ by refusing Him, but invited Him by humbling himself.
He did not wish to receive Christ within the walls of his house, but within his heart. Therefore the Lord says: Amen I say to you, I have not found so great faith in Israel. This man of the Gentiles went before many of the people of Israel, not by birth, but by faith.
And therefore the Church has preserved his words, and before she receives the Body of Christ, she herself speaks what he spoke: Lord, I am not worthy. For by saying these words she does not repel Christ, but draws Him to herself; she does not close the door, but opens it. Thus the soul is healed by the word of the Lord, as the servant of the centurion was healed.