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Today, 27th of September, we celebrate
Saint Vincent of Paul
Ephesians 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.
Psalm 19:2-3, 4-5
R./ Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R./ Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R./ Their message goes out through all the earth.
Matthew 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."
Dear friends,
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Matthew, the tax collector turned apostle. Jesus approached him and said, “Follow me.”
Jesus saw Matthew at his work as a tax collector and called him. The Lord has no problem calling anyone, regardless of their condition, their occupation, their sins… Jesus does not look at people’s frailties and weaknesses, but at their hearts. He has not come to seek the “healthy and righteous” but sinners, those who need healing and restoration. Every person needs to find in Jesus relief, comfort, hope, and a reason to live.
Matthew invited Jesus to a meal at his house. And there the Lord went, along with tax collectors and sinners. It was a meal to celebrate the forgiveness and mercy of God, who called everyone to follow Jesus and thus experience the good news that all – without any exclusion – belonged to the family of the children of God. Everyone felt welcomed and respected, no one was excluded, marginalized, or rejected. The presence of Jesus created that atmosphere of closeness, trust, security, and hope. All those guests had a unique experience with Jesus.
This attitude of Jesus is a wake-up call for each of us and for our communities and groups: inclusion and mercy, not exclusion and rejection.
Many times we tend to judge and exclude “sinners” or those different from us. Our parishes and groups need to be inclusive and merciful; with open doors, without conditions, without so much bureaucracy or so many requirements… so that everyone can experience the mercy of God in our communities and groups. And it can be said of our communities and groups “look how they love one another” and thus they will want to join us. Charity and mercy are the best proclamation of the Gospel. The Gospel repeats a few times that when they saw how Jesus acted with the poor and needy they said “He has done everything well and they gave glory to God.”
In this passage, Jesus was surrounded by tax collectors and sinners. Jesus recognized in each of them a human being, beyond their qualities, virtues, and defects. He saw in Matthew – and the other guests – not only the person they were, but the person they could become. The Lord knew each of those guests, and by sharing that meal with them, He wanted to help them change their lives and begin to live what each one could be if they let themselves be guided by Him. “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” The past doesn’t matter, the future is what really counts.
We all have “a dream” of what we want to be in life. It’s a matter of making it happen. We have our whole lives to fulfill that dream. But others also play an important role in the realization of my dream. We cannot do without the help and friendship of others.
Your brother in faith,
José Luis Latorre, Claretian MissionaryFrom a despised tax-collector, appraised no higher than a public sinner or a pagan, Matthew becomes an apostle. He is living proof that Jesus came to call sinners. And among the apostles, he is one of the two who witnessed to Christ not only with their life and work but also their writing. He is with us today to strengthen our faith. He shows how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Scriptures and how our communities today, like his long ago, have to put the Good News of Jesus into practice.
Lord God of mercy,
you show us today,
in your apostle and evangelist Matthew,
how you put the self-righteous to shame
and call sinners to the task
of bringing your Son's Good News to the world.
Forgive us our pride and reassure us,
that we can count on you and your love
because we are weak and sinful people.
Let us share in your message and life
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
– For the Church, a community of saints and sinners, that we, the People of God and our leaders, may not condemn those who have failed, but with God give them new chances in life, we pray:
– For people who have failed and no longer believe in themselves, in God or in the community, that they may draw new hope from our compassion and understanding, we pray:
– For priests and religious, that they may keep trusting in the Lord who called them notwithstanding their human frailty; that with Christ they may care especially for the poor and the weak, we pray:
Lord God, merciful Father,
your Son, Jesus Christ, was eating
with tax collectors and sinners
because they needed him.
We bring this bread and this wine before you,
that he may sit at table with us
because we too, need him.
Accept his sacrifice and ours,
so that sins may be forgiven
and that we may live in your love,
now and for ever.
Lord our God, merciful Father,
through your Son in our midst,
help us to be mild and compassionate
without condemning anyone,
for you have been gentle to us.
And do not let us boast
of our human achievements,
for we owe everything
to your grace and your call
in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
"I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." Let these words change our attitude toward people, also toward ourselves, and make us mild and understanding to everyone, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
