Reading 1
Eph 4:1-7, 11-13
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ's gift.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.
Gospel
Mt 9:9-13
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Meditation: Matthew 9:9-13
“Follow me.” (Matthew 9:9)
There you were, Matthew, sitting at your customs post, just as you did every other day of the week. But how your life would change this day! Jesus, the rabbi you had heard so much about, passed by—and singled you out! He wanted you, a tax collector and a “sinner,” to follow him.
How your heart must have leapt as you looked into that kind and compassionate face! It was an invitation you could not turn down. You did not waste any time but got up and invited him into your home. Pray for us, Matthew, to have the grace to respond to Jesus’ invitation to follow him as you did.
You invited all your friends to your home for a dinner. They were public sinners like you, the only people who would associate with you. You wanted them to know how your life had changed and how theirs could too: Jesus loved them, and all their sins—no matter how big—could be forgiven. Pray for us, Matthew, that we may be eager to tell our friends and family about Jesus and the change he has brought about in our lives.
What an honor it was for you to be called by Jesus to be one of the twelve! Were you surprised that he would invite you into his inner circle? Surely you must have felt unworthy. And yet you had been healed by this great Physician, so you happily left the past behind you and took up your new calling. Pray for us, Matthew, that we too will be quick to seek God’s healing love.
You proclaimed the good news far and wide—not only in your lifetime but in the words you left for us in the Gospel that bears your name. We thank you for this life-giving message that shows how Jesus is the fulfillment of all God’s promises, the fulfillment of all our dreams. Pray for us, Matthew, that we will embrace all of these promises and let them change our lives.
“Jesus, like Matthew, I too need your mercy. Heal me of my sin. Through your word, shine your light through me so that with my whole being I proclaim the good news of your mercy and love.”
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