The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
February 4, 2007
12:45PM Meditation
Luke 5:1-11
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
To fulfill one’s Sunday obligation at the Anglican Usage of the Roman Rite Mass is to declare one’s unworthiness four times, and that’s just in the few minutes before receiving Holy Communion. First we say the Prayer of Humble Access, which includes the line, “We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table”. And then at the Invitation to Communion we repeat three times, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof, but say the word only and my soul shall be healed.” I thought of these declarations as I read over the Gospel we will hear today. When Peter saw the great catch of fish that Jesus had produced for him and his men, he fell to his knees and said to our Lord, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Luke 5:8). This sentiment coincides with the words of the Canaanite woman, from which the Prayer of Humble Access is derived, as well as the words of the centurion, from which the response to the Invitation to Communion is derived. If you need me to jog your memory, the Canaanite woman, begging Jesus to exorcise her possessed daughter, said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table” (Matt. 15:27). The centurion, beseeching Jesus to heal his paralyzed servant, said to Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed” (Matt. 8:8). From Scripture and from the Liturgy, we learn the importance of a sense of unworthiness.
Note first that in every instance Jesus is addressed as ‘Lord’. When we use this title in addressing Jesus it does not in and of itself denote our unworthiness. But it does indicate that we understand ourselves to be the servant and Jesus to be the master. That is, as we come to Jesus seeking healing we do not come imagining that our stature is equal to his. Rather, we confess that he has the power we do not possess, and we are relying upon him to make up in us what we of ourselves are unable to do. Moreover, not only does the term ‘Lord’ in these contexts indicate Jesus can do more than we can, it also reflects an ontological difference between us and Jesus. Indeed, on this side of the Resurrection in particular, to call Jesus ‘Lord’ is to confess that he is Divine.
Note second that in every instance the penitent recognizes that his sinfulness makes him unworthy to be in the presence of the Divine. Peter said, “Depart from me”, the centurion said he wasn’t worthy to have Jesus in his house, the Canaanite woman accepted that as a Gentile she was not a priority for Jesus, and we profess the same sentiments in the prayers we say before receiving Holy Communion. In confessing that Jesus is Divine, we have already said he is perfect. In declaring our unworthiness we are acknowledging our imperfection. We may seek healing from Jesus for physical maladies, but these do not make us unworthy. We are unworthy because the stain we carry from the wicked decisions we have made. We have chosen evil, whereas Jesus has not. The help we need more than anything is the spiritual healing Jesus can effect in our lives through the forgiveness of our sins. To say, ‘I am not worthy’ is to say, ‘I am a sinner.’
Note third that from the confession of Jesus as Lord and in admitting our own unworthiness a transformation occurs. Peter had made his living as a fisherman. He had invested much in his boats and his nets, but after his recognition of Jesus’ power and his own weakness he was willing to leave everything behind to take up his new occupation as a disciple of Jesus. A transformation took place for the centurion, whose servant was healed. The Canaanite woman saw her daughter made whole following her profession of faith and her confession of her unworthiness. And a transformation occurs in us, as well. When we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus with contrite and humble hearts, in adoration of the Divine Mystery before us, we receive the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus gives us the healing balm that we require by giving himself to us. The unworthiness we confess is transformed as our Master becomes our Servant, purging us of the sinfulness that alienates us from Divine perfection. After Communion worthily received we are truly in a state of grace, prepared to stand before the Judgment Seat, having already benefited from Divine Mercy.
Note finally that from the healing hand of Christ proceeds union with Christ. The same perfection that purifies us through the receipt of Christ’s Body and Blood infuses us with the power to perform the works of God. Peter labored all night and caught nothing, but by the power of Christ he made a catch so large that the nets began to break and he required the help of all his men to haul it in. Peter saw in this demonstration that his own weakness would not prevent him from being able to do good as he went forward as a follower of Jesus. Not only was his life transformed, but as we read the rest of the Gospel and the Book of Acts we see that Peter became an instrument of God’s grace, performing the same works of healing as Jesus did, fully cognizant that it was Jesus acting through him all along. The power that worked through Peter can work also through us. Our weakness can become our strength if we allow the same power that purifies our souls to lead us into works of righteousness. In other words, Jesus does not limit his gifts to us by simply granting us forgiveness. He gives us himself that we might give him to others.
This characteristic then is what ultimately unites the Christian to the examples he reads about in the Gospels. The centurion and the Canaanite woman did not intercede for themselves but for those they loved. Likewise, Peter stepped out in faith to follow Jesus in order that he might share the Good News with those so desperately in need of it. His missionary work was not for himself but his fellow man, and it would eventually cost him his life. If our confession of Jesus as Lord and our acknowledgment of our unworthiness are to be genuine, they must be offered with the intention that we desire to heal others, not just be healed ourselves. To be a Christian is not only or even primarily about saving ourselves. It is more about allowing Christ to work through us that our neighbors might be saved. We ought to be certain then, as we make our intentions known to Jesus as we receive his Body and Blood, that we model our desires on those in Scripture whose faith was rewarded with new life for those they loved. We will find that such true piety will issue in new life for us, as well.
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.