Author Information
Four Great Centurions
Centurion Cornelius
Cornelius, Centurion, of the Italian band,
Was pious and devout a man, to God obedient,
An angel did appear to him who asked him to dispatch
Two serfs to Joppa there to find Saint Peter at his watch.
From Cesarea's site he sent the serfs to Joppa then,
To seek out Simon Peter and invite this holy man.
And Simon Peter, after prayer, and vision in the night
Was willing and agreed to meet the Gentile neophite.
They met, but Peter was concerned he might his soul defile,
By eating from the food prepared in the house of a Gentile.
But on the roof he had a dream of unclean food spread wide,
That asked to eat from it at once with zest and appetite.
"T'is clean, yes, clean, the voice assured, t'is clean go on and eat,
"Partake of food that prejudice will foolishly forbid".
And Peter ate and understood the dream and what it meant,
And shared the meal with his new host and did of doubt repent.
Cornelius, the Centurion, was hundred-fold repaid
For generous alms he gave and psalms and prayers he had said,
Himself and all his kinfolk were by Peter, Rock, baptised.
He and his household and vast kin henceforth belonged to Christ
Acts 10:1-14.
Centurion Julius
Hail Julius! - Centurion, of Cesar's Regiment-
The warden of Apostle Paul, gallant and lenient;
Permitting the Apostle Paul to freely roam with friends,
And meet with Christian converts, and to preach or make amends.
Benevolent custodian during the fateful trip,
On the tempestuous fearful sea, when foundering was their ship.
Lest they escape, all prisoners, with Paul, were to be killed,
But Julius intervened and proved to be the apostle's shield.
And with Saint Paul in custody, kind Julius set free
His charge and ward to found again a new community.
T'is thanks to Julius we possess Epistles from the pen
Of great Saint Paul who wrote and wrote with passionate zeal Amen.
We know no more of Julius, - deplore it, friends! - deplore!
Though he is mentioned on and off at times in Christian Lore,
Legenda Aurea only says in Rome he realised
His erstwhile captive had been right,- God was in Jesus Christ
Acts 27:1-39.
Centurion of Capernaum
Hail to the chief of Caparnaum of sly Fox Herod's band,
Whose slave was struck with illness grave and thus his master went
To Jesus for a healing of his well beloved serf,
What extraordinary thing to do on mean King Herod's turf.
The occupant kneels to the Jew, - the conquered, - occupied,
And does forgo his Roman might and military pride;
And for a slave's sake comes to bow and bend a ramrod knee,
Behold What love can do! - Oh love! - Love knows humility!
His words, repeated every day, are his great legacy, -
I'is left with us in print and word for all posterity:
"O Lord am not worthy that thou comest beneath my roof,
But only speak the word and I'll be healed by your great love!."
At mass when people celebrate as guests the banquet feast,
When the communicants receive the Holy Eucharist,
The fervent trusting utterance of this centurion
Through ages and through centuries keeps ringing onand on.
Luke 7:2-6 Matthew 8:5
Centurion Gaius Cassius Longinus
Of Saint Longinus, the Centurion I will not write nor speak,
He is an extraordinary saint and in his way unique,
I tried to dedicate to him a modest but fervent Ode,
The martyr saint but smiled at me and gave a gentle nod.
I praised the Cappadocian Saint's for his rusticity,
His valiant martyrdom and heroic sanctity,
October 16th every year is Saint Langinus's feast,
For Western Christianity and for the Byzantine East;
The pilgrims come in throngs to touch his splendid shield's topaz
And chant "dear Gaius Cassius Longinus, pay for us"!
.
.
