Reading 1 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1
There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Now the asses of Saul's father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, "Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses."
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.
When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
"This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people."
Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
"Please tell me where the seer lives."
Samuel answered Saul: "I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish."
Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul's head;
he also kissed him, saying:
"The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD's people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.
"This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart's desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
For you made him a blessing forever;
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Gospel Mk 2:13-17
Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
"Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
Jesus heard this and said to them,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Meditation: Mark 2:13-17
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.” (Mark 2:17)
It seems that many of the Pharisees in Jesus’ time viewed sin the way we view a contagious disease. In order to avoid getting sick, we wear gloves and a facemask and keep clear of any direct contact with the patient and anything he may have touched. In a similar way, these self-righteous religious leaders were afraid they would lose their purity if they got too close to an outcast or a public sinner. So it’s no wonder that Jesus’ affinity for such people scandalized them. He was jeopardizing his holiness—if he had any holiness at all!
Jesus proved that sin isn’t contagious. In fact, it tends to make us selfish and isolated, putting us in a kind of spiritual quarantine. It convinces us to focus on ourselves instead of the people in our lives. So in their desire to separate themselves from the contagious members of society—the sick sinners— some of the Pharisees showed that they considered themselves perfectly healthy and in no need of the healing and salvation Jesus offered. Surely this attitude separated them from the grace of God and led them to turn a blind eye to the presence of God in their brothers and sisters
Jesus knew that holiness, not sin, is contagious—especially the outgoing, robust holiness that he displayed. People who spent time with Jesus seemed to absorb his joy in life, his infectious love of God, and his desire to reach out rather than close in on themselves. Instead of avoiding sinners, Jesus went looking for them. Instead of blaming other people for the problems in the world, he treated them with the highest respect and honor. Instead of using “sinners” as a public example of what not to do, he healed them, forgave them, and showed them the way back to the full life they had forfeited.
Invited to follow Jesus, Levi was eager to introduce his acquaintances and fellow outcasts to his newfound friend. How about us? If judgment leaps to our lips more readily than welcome, maybe it’s time for an attitude adjustment. Maybe we need to spend more time around Jesus and “catch” his contagious, outgoing love.
“Jesus, I want to become more like you. Fill me with the kind of love that draws me to you—and me to other people as well.”
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