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Reflect on the faith of the centurion and the healing power of Jesus in today's Gospel. Discover how to prepare your heart to receive Him fully.

Today's Gospel: Matthew 8:5-17

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 378-444 AD). We owe a profound debt to St. Cyril, who affirmed the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Theotokos (“God-bearer”) in response to the Nestorian Christological heresy of the fifth century. Nestorianism asserted that Christ existed as two separate persons, one human and one divine. St. Cyril courageously asserted Jesus’s humanity and divinity were united in one person, both human and divine. For centuries, St. Cyril’s legacy has helped us understand who Jesus truly is, and there is no better place to encounter Jesus than in the mystery of the Eucharist. 

The same Jesus that St. Cyril defended is revealed in today’s passage from Matthew’s Gospel. The centurion bluntly recognizes Jesus’s earthly and divine authority, which causes Jesus to marvel at his faith. The centurion’s powerful words to Jesus are ones we know intimately, as we utter an echo of them in the sacred liturgy every Sunday: “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.” In the Eucharist, the roof under which we welcome Jesus is that of our hearts.

The Gospel continues with Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. This is an important encounter because it is one of the only occasions in the New Testament in which Jesus heals of His own initiative without being prompted by others.

Like the centurion, we come to Jesus with humility and faith, asking for healing. And like Peter’s mother-in-law, our only fitting response to His selfless outpouring of mercy and love is to rise and serve in devotion to our Lord. 

 

Ponder:

How can you prepare to receive Jesus under the roof of your heart? 

 

Pray:

Lord, strengthen our belief in Your complete humanity and divinity and heal us of our every ill. We are not worthy, but only say the word and our souls shall be healed.

 

Pray Together:

Pray for the sick. Consider becoming an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion so you can bring Communion to the sick and homebound.

 


June 27

Copyright 2026 Laura Taylor Steiner

 

About the Author

Laura Taylor Steiner

Laura Taylor Steiner

Laura Steiner is an Army spouse and mother of three children under four. She earned her doctorate in Theology from the University of Notre Dame and traversed the Silicon Valley tech startup world for several years before focusing on her vocation of full-time motherhood. A church musician, liturgist, and Third Order Dominican novice, she writes on liturgy, spirituality, sacred music, and parenting at her Substack.