First reading 1 Samuel 9:1-4,17-19,10:1
The Lord chooses Saul as king; Samuel anoints him
Among the men of Benjamin there was a man named Kish son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah; a Benjaminite and a man of rank. He had a son named Saul, a handsome man in the prime of life. Of all the Israelites there was no one more handsome than he; he stood head and shoulders taller than the rest of the people. Now some of the she-donkeys of Saul’s father Kish had strayed, so Kish said to Saul, ‘My son, take one of the servants with you and be off; go and look for the she-donkeys.’ They passed through the highlands of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but did not find them; they passed through the land of Shaalim, they were not there; they passed through the land of Benjamin, but did not find them.
When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘That is the man of whom I told you; he shall rule my people.’ Saul accosted Samuel in the gateway and said, ‘Tell me, please, where the seer’s house is?’ Samuel replied to Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place. You are to eat with me today. In the morning I shall take leave of you and tell you all that is in your heart.’
Samuel took a phial of oil and poured it on Saul’s head; then he kissed him, saying, ‘Has not the Lord anointed you prince over his people Israel? You are the man who must rule the Lord’s people, and who must save them from the power of the enemies surrounding them.’
Responsorial Psalm 20(21):2-7
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king.
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king;
how your saving help makes him glad!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you have not refused the prayer of his lips.
You came to meet him with the blessings of success,
you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life and this you have given,
days that will last from age to age.
Your saving help has given him glory.
You have laid upon him majesty and splendour,
you have granted your blessings to him forever.
You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.
Gospel Mark 2:13-17
Your light must shine in the sight of men
Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at the table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When Jesus heard this he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’
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“Follow Me”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus saw Levi, a tax collector and regarded as a public sinner, sitting at the customs house. Unlike the rest of society, Jesus did not view Levi through a lens of judgment. Instead, He recognised a person yearning for something more in life. Jesus understood that Levi had the potential to become a faithful disciple, despite how others labelled him as an unacceptable sinner. Imagine the immense joy Levi felt when he heard Jesus say, “Follow me.” Overwhelmed with happiness, he invited all his friends to a meal to celebrate the gift of his new life.
Like Levi, Jesus calls each of us to follow Him as we are. We may never fully grasp such unconditional love, which embraces our flaws, yet still gently beckons us, “Follow me!” When we have Jesus in our lives, we experience a joy that no one can take away. There may be “scribes” in our lives who hurl cynical and judgmental remarks at our desire to grow closer to Jesus. However, if we truly experience Jesus’ love, we should not let their comments affect us deeply. Let us focus our attention on Jesus and allow Him to be the one we listen to and follow.
Reflective question:
What is stopping me from following Jesus today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
