First reading Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13
We are all to come to unity, fully mature in the knowledge of the Son of God
I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.
Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. To some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.
Responsorial Psalm 18(19):2-5
Their word goes forth through all the earth.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
and night unto night makes known the message.
No speech, no word, no voice is heard
yet their span extends through all the earth,
their words to the utmost bounds of the world.
Gospel Matthew 9:9-13
It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick
As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
While he was at dinner in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?’ When he heard this he replied, ‘It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’
The Call To Follow Jesus
Today, we celebrate the Feast of St Matthew. The Gospel tells us of Matthew’s encounter with Jesus, which completely changed his life. Jesus saw him sitting at his tax collector’s office and simply said, “Follow me.” Jesus called Matthew despite his occupation as a tax collector, which was regarded with suspicion and contempt because he exploited the people and collaborated with the Romans. This is the heart of mercy: Christ looks at us with love and calls us always to stand up and leave behind all that diminishes us, such as our fears, bad habits, and unhealthy attachments, and begin a new life with Him.
St Paul, in the first reading, describes what this new life in Christ should be: it is a life of patient and selfless love. When rooted in Christ, we use our talents and abilities to build up the body of Christ. Today, let us hear the words of Jesus, “Follow me,” and respond to Him with love, just as St Matthew did.
Reflective question:
What would it mean for me today to follow Jesus?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
