Who would have thought that the words of a pagan would one day find their way into the liturgical prayers of the Catholic Church and constantly remind all believers of the meaning of faith and their place before God?

Yet, that is precisely the case with the pagan Roman centurion who saw in Jesus Christ and what many Jews at that time failed to see: a man of God whose healing power is so great that the miracle could be done with only the mere utterances of the words. Faith, we are told, lies in "the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Heb.1:11) By not requiring Jesus to be physically present to his ailing servant, the centurion displayed a faith so rare that Jesus Himself admitted, "I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this." (Mt.8:10)

The other thing the centurion taught believers is humanity's unworthiness before God. Cognizant of the vast difference between sinful man and sinless God, the only recourse for human beings is to humble themselves and appeal to God's infinite mercy and compassion. Everything is at God's pleasure - God's time and way, not ours.

That it should take a pagan to teach us believers these two important lessons in faith and disposition should humble us to recognise the truth of God's 'way' that, the last shall be first and the first, last. (cf. Mt.20:16). As we enter the season of Advent let us with the Roman centurion pray: