Good morning, beloved friends, and a blessed welcome to this first week of Advent! The Church invites us to prepare our hearts for Christ's coming—both celebrating His birth at Christmas and anticipating His return in glory.
A Model for Preparation
I want to share a story about a priest who was rushing to cover an emergency Mass. Just minutes before he had to leave, a man appeared at the door, anxious and insistent.
"Father, I need to go to confession."
The priest hesitantly agreed. He waited as the man gave a short, sincere confession and quickly did his penance. Feeling moved but curious, the priest asked, "Why couldn't you wait until after Mass?"
The man looked up, his eyes full of emotion: "Father, my wife just gave birth. I'm a father, and I'm on my way to the hospital to hold my child for the very first time. I didn't want to touch that child, that gift from God, with sin on my soul. I needed to hold my baby with clean hands and a clean heart."
This man perfectly understood the call of today's Gospel. We meet the Roman Centurion who comes to Jesus not with pride, but with a humble plea: "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed."
Jesus was amazed by this faith. Like the new father, the Centurion understood that to receive a gift of great purity—whether healing or the Christ Child Himself—we must first recognize our unworthiness and prepare our hearts. He sought readiness through humble faith in Christ's word alone.
We repeat the Centurion's powerful words at every Mass, just before we receive the Lord in the Eucharist. This repetition serves as our spiritual training ground.
Preparing Our Hearts and Souls
In this Advent season, the Church asks us: Are we preparing our hands and hearts to welcome the Child Jesus?
When we say, "Lord, I am not worthy," we are practicing the humility needed to receive God's grace. When we say, "but only say the word," we are affirming the confident faith that Christ's power transcends our failings.
Friends and families, let us follow the example of the Centurion and the new father. This Advent, let us approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation, that great gift of spiritual cleansing. Let us seek God's forgiveness and grace now, so that when Christmas arrives, we are ready to welcome the Christ Child into our lives with clean hands and a joyful, pure heart. Amen.
- Today’s Readings
- Father Pinto's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and the Rosary at the 30-minute mark) on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
- To join the Rosary and Mass Livestream, visit the Family Rosary YouTube or Facebook page at 11:30 a.m. Eastern, Monday – Friday. Consider inviting others to join, too! (*If you are not a member of Facebook and a signup window appears, simply select the X at the top of the pop-up message and continue to the livestream.)
.jpg "Father Pinto Paul, C.S.C.")