Words are very powerful. Notice when one is down and a friend or a loved one utters kind and inspiring words, how it lifts us up, how it gives us strength, and how it gives us comfort. On the other hand, when people who we do not know say something nasty or unkind, we continue thinking of that person for several days on end. Yes, our mood has been affected. Words, indeed, are very powerful.

In the Gospel of the Centurion, he tells Jesus, “You need not come to my house. Just only say the Word and my servant shall be healed.” We must remember that Jesus was a Jew and the centurion was a gentile. Hence, if Jesus went to his house, he would become ritually unclean. Hence, the line of the centurion which we repeat every celebration of the Holy Eucharist: “Just only say the word and my soul shall be healed.”

In discussion about words, three reflections:

1. The Words that come from our mouths are very powerful. They can heal or they can cause pain; they can lift one up or they can put one down; whether good or bad, they are powerful. The prayer of parents for their children is very powerful and so is their curse to their children. 
2. The Word of God. The Word of the Lord is very powerful as a two-edged sword; Heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will not. God is alive. With God nothing is impossible. Hence, His Words and Promises are real. We just always have to be hopeful because His time and ways are different from our time.
3. Our Words to God. God is just a prayer away. Jesus said do not babble words like pagans, but he also said to pray unceasingly. Thus, may our prayers really come from the heart.

In every Mass, let us pray for all those who are in need of healing, silently uttering their names on our lips. As the centurion said, “Just only say the Word and my servant will be healed.”