"Lord I am not worth to receive You, but..."

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“Lord I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”

I’ve never really understood why we say this.

Obviously none of us are worthy of receiving our Lord. When we say this prayer in Mass, it’s right before we receive our Lord as the Eucharist.

But, non-Catholics, Catholics who are not in a state of grace, those who didn’t fast before Mass, and other Catholics who have not yet received their fist Communion are not able to receive.

So even though none of us are worthy, does that mean some are more unworthy that others?

“Only say the word and I shall be healed.”

Does that imply that those listed above are not healed? Healed of what? If it’s mortal sin, then people who ask should also receive the Eucharist. If not, then does that mean that God only says the word and heals the people who are already Catholic and in a state of grace?

I’m not trying to be goofy here, but like I said, I’ve never been able to make sense out of this prayer.
 
It is a biblical reference.

Matthew 8:8 But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
 
I understand that the new English mass translation will have wording closer to the actual scripture verse and more closely track the Latin.
 
Jabronie said:
“Lord I am not worth to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed.”

I’ve never really understood why we say this.

Obviously none of us are worthy of receiving our Lord. When we say this prayer in Mass, it’s right before we receive our Lord as the Eucharist.

But, non-Catholics, Catholics who are not in a state of grace, those who didn’t fast before Mass, and other Catholics who have not yet received their fist Communion are not able to receive.

So even though none of us are worthy, does that mean some are more unworthy that others?

“Only say the word and I shall be healed.”

Does that imply that those listed above are not healed? Healed of what? If it’s mortal sin, then people who ask should also receive the Eucharist. If not, then does that mean that God only says the word and heals the people who are already Catholic and in a state of grace?

I’m not trying to be goofy here, but like I said, I’ve never been able to make sense out of this prayer.
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I always feel this response very deeply whenever I say it. My thoughts are nothing official, but just the way I feel about it. It’s true that if we are going to receive communion, it means we are Catholics in good standing, no mortal sin. But even in that state, do you really feel worthy to receive the Body and Blood of our Creator, the one who gave his life for us? I know I don’t. I know that, like the Israelites in the Book of Exodus, the only reason I am not destroyed is because of the Blood of the Lamb. There is nothing on my part that makes me worthy, it is only the Blood of the Lamb. I am still a sinful creature, and whenever I say “I am not worthy”, it brings that reality home to me and helps me appreciate the great sacrifice of our Saviour and the great miracle that any of us can participate in that sacrifice. I think it is vital that we always be aware of how unworthy we are of what our Creator has done for us.

Those are my thoughts, for whatever that is worth.

Mary
 
Fantastic question, one I’ve considered myself. It’s very humbling for me to be kneeling before Communion and saying this prayer. :o

Might I add a question, too? It’s this: when one prays this prayer, does that mean that all sin is forgiven and one is free to receive the Eucharist, then? That is, if one wasn’t able to go to Confession for whatever reason, or thinks that one doesn’t need Confession?

(thanks for letting me jump on this question, it’s a great one!)
 
I think it fits - there are plenty of graces to be had, remember, simply from attending Mass. That’s why it’s the attendance that’s mandatory and not (except that once a year requirement) reception of the Eucharist.

For those who ARE in a state of grace and receive, we pray that the Eucharist will heal their souls of all sins, even the venial, and strengthen them against future sin.

For those who aren’t receiving, we pray that their attendance at Mass and spiritual communion will help to do the same. :getholy:
 
Remember that in the Gospel account, the centurian is asking Jesus to heal his servant. However, because he does not want our Lord to suffer ritual impurity, he tells Jesus to only say the word and he believes that his servant will be healed. Jesus is greatly impressed with this man’s display of faith and says that even among the children of Israel, he has not found such profound faith.

In Latin, the text is:
Domine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo, et sanabitur anima mea
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In English, this means:
Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But say the word and my soul will be healed
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This is what we should have been praying. Unfortunately, this is another example of how, in its infinite wisdom, the ICEL managed to botch things up. That is why the new ICEL has to clean up the Englsih version of the Roman Missal.

The new translation will restore the translation to a faithful translation of the original Latin (as well as that from the Gospel). In other words, it will look like what I have quoted above. It’s funny because in Spanish, the translation is exactly the same as in the Latin original.
 
Bad translation into the English. From the old Mass
Dómine, non sum dignus, ut intres sub tectum meum: sed tantum dic verbo, et sanábitur ánima mea.

Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof; say but the word, and my soul shall be healed
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As said above, it is a quote from the Gospels.
 
twosweetgirls said:
Might I add a question, too? It’s this: when one prays this prayer, does that mean that all sin is forgiven and one is free to receive the Eucharist, then? That is, if one wasn’t able to go to Confession for whatever reason, or thinks that one doesn’t need Confession?
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Neither crossing one’s self with holy water, nor the Penitential Rite, nor the Asperges, nor the Domine, non sum dignus… (“Lord, I am not worthy…”), nor any other part of the Mass replaces the need for the Sacrament of Confession when mortal sin is the issue.
 
Christ calls us to receive Him in the Eucharist, irrespective of our worth. In fact in the Eucharistic prayer, the priest says, “Thank You Father, for counting us worthy to receive you.”

The centurion in the Scripture, humbled himself and went to a Jew, Jesus Christ, to ask for his servant’s healing. In doing so, he also exhibited to Jesus his faith in that, Jesus could do what he could, just by saying the word.

At Mass, we too go to Jesus, humbly asking for the healing of our souls, which have been wounded by our sins.

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Christ calls us to receive Him in the Eucharist, irrespective of our worth. In fact in the Eucharistic prayer, the priest says, “Thank You Father, for counting us worthy to receive you.”

The centurion in the Scripture, humbled himself and went to a Jew, Jesus Christ, to ask for his servant’s healing. In doing so, he also exhibited to Jesus his faith in that, Jesus could do what he could, just by saying the word.

At Mass, we too go to Jesus, humbly asking for the healing of our souls, which have been wounded by our sins.

Jim
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As long as it’s not mortal sin, which I’m sure is what you meant.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Christ calls us to receive Him in the Eucharist, irrespective of our worth. In fact in the Eucharistic prayer, the priest says, “Thank You Father, for counting us worthy to receive you.”
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Christ calls us to examine ourselves before we receive Him in the Eucharist. See Paul’s first letter to Corinth, chapter 11.

And the 2nd E.P. says “we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you”, and later beseeches God to “[h]ave mercy on us all [and] make us worthy to share eternal life with Mary”, etc.
 
japhy said:
Christ calls us to examine ourselves before we receive Him in the Eucharist. See Paul’s first letter to Corinth, chapter 11.

And the 2nd E.P. says “we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you”, and later beseeches God to “[h]ave mercy on us all [and] make us worthy to share eternal life with Mary”, etc.
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Did Christ tell the centurion to examine himself before coming to Him with his request? No he did not.

Examination of conscience isn’t what this prayer in the Mass is about. We’ve already been asked to do an examination of conscience, at the beginning of Mass during the penitential rite.

The prayer is to ask Christ to heal us, from the wounds that separate us.

Jim
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Did Christ tell the centurion to examine himself before coming to Him with his request? No he did not.
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I would guess the centurion already had: he knows he’s not worthy to have the Lord enter under his roof!
JimR-OCDS said:
Examination of conscience isn’t what this prayer in the Mass is about. We’ve already been asked to do an examination of conscience, at the beginning of Mass during the penitential rite. The prayer is to ask Christ to heal us, from the wounds that separate us.
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I agree that this is a prayer that Christ might heal our souls. It is also an admission of our unworthiness before him, and a recognition that he supplies the healing that makes our unworthiness become worthiness… and that he goes so much further than that by not only “say[ing] the word” but also allowing us to receive him!
 
I’ve always thought that the reason for this prayer is forgiveness of venial sin so that when we receive the Eucharist we are receiving it without ANY sin on our souls.

Whatever imperfections which are not sins Jesus will heal.

Isn’t that how Jesus would want to commune with us?
 
JimR-OCDS said:
The prayer is to ask Christ to heal us, from the wounds that separate us.

Jim
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That’s what it has always meant to me. I pray it humbly, not because it is a “botched” translation, but because all I ask in His Name will be given to me.

“Let Your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them Holy.”

"I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed. . .

. . . unless there is some obscure Canon Law that trumps Your divine mercy, of course."
 
Drlit said:
That’s what it has always meant to me. I pray it humbly, not because it is a “botched” translation, but because all I ask in His Name will be given to me.

“Let Your Spirit come upon these gifts to make them Holy.”

"I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed. . .

. . . unless there is some obscure Canon Law that trumps Your divine mercy, of course."
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Just one point.

No canon law will ever trump the mercy of Jesus.

Jim
 
Jim

Yes I agree. I was being satirical to make that very point .

God bless.😃
 
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