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MONDAY OF THE TWENTY-FOURTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

1 Timothy 2:1-8


Beloved:

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For

there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all

—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.



Psalm 28:2, 7-9


Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.


Luke 7:1-10


After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.

(NRSVCE)

Meditation


We are advised to pray for our leaders in the letter to Timothy. Even if our leaders do not share our religion, like the centurion in the gospel, and even if they do not ask for prayers, we can and should pray for them for protection, wisdom, prudence, peace, justice, prosperity, and personal repentance from sin.

The centurion, though he was not a Jew, loved the Jewish people and had built them their synagogue. When he asked Jesus to heal his servant, Jesus went to oblige but the centurion stopped him from having to come under his roof. Then he demonstrated that he had great faith with the words we use to this day when we receive the Lord, “only say the word”.

We do not know what hidden faith our acts of greatness can be unleashed in our political leaders if we only pray regularly for them. Let us pray for greater faith so that our leaders might become more holy and that because of that, we may “lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity”.

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