DAILY HOLY MASS READINGS
EPHESIANS 4:1-7, 11-13
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
What a glorious destiny awaits us - how well St. Paul directs us on the path to holiness and to fullness in You. We are called to be a light in a world of darkness, division, violence, evil, selfishness, and sin. In a world that promotes self-glorification, You show us another way, a better way, a way that leads to life and seeks the good of the other, putting their needs before our own.
Because we are sinners it is a constant struggle to live as a true disciple should - I must bear with my brothers and sisters in Christ with charity, I am called to be selfless, gentle, and patient. I am called to build, preserve, unite with the help of the Holy Spirit.
We have all been given gifts to build up Your Body, Beloved. Each is given according to Your will. We may have different vocations but are called to work in unity, each using their gifts and talents to work tirelessly in the service of all to the end. 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.
PSALM 19:2-5
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
God has left His imprint all around us. All creation gives Him glory and so must we who are created in His image and likeness.
God so loved us that He sent You as one of us, like us in all things, save sin. You are the perfect Man and we are all called to strive to holiness and perfection by striving to be like You. You were humble and obedient and though You are God You came to serve not to be served and to lay down Your life as a ransom for us.
From the rising of the sun to its setting, Beloved, the whole world gives You praise as does Your Bride, the Church, offering the one and only holy, pure, and most acceptable Sacrifice to the Father whose infinite merits have the power to draw His infinite mercy on her and on the whole world.
MATTHEW 9:9-13
My Beloved, Soul of my soul,
Only those who have been despised by the world will truly understand what Matthew suffered by being labelled a sinner and an outcast. The cruelty of ostracism by his fellow Jews must have been a source of constant suffering for him.
What were his thoughts that fateful day as he was going about his daily routine in the customs house? Did he wish things were different, that he had another more respectable profession to earn his living for himself and his family? When he heard the commotion as You passed by with Your disciples, did he recognize You as the famous Rabbi, the healer of miracles, the wonder-worker, the great teacher, and preacher? Did he sigh inwardly because of the constant deep inner spiritual sadness in him? He looks at You and the crowd following You fully expecting You to walk past him and then You stop, he is mesmerized by Your gaze, You seem to look deep into his soul, Your look is full of love and tender compassion, and his soul is stirred with an emotion he is unable to put into words and then he hears You speak, "Follow me." Was he stunned for split second? Did he ask himself, 'Did I hear right? Is he actually calling me?' What tumultuous joy must have flooded his soul when as he realized it was true, a tremulous smile must have lit up his face as he got up immediately and followed You without a backward glance leaving all that was familiar, old, tired, miserable, unhappy, behind him to take up a new life with You.
Sinners generally congregate with sinners. Like-minded with like-minded and so in Matthew's house that evening his old friends came to dinner at his house. The Pharisees questioned Your disciples about the company You kept and ate with, they wondered why You congregated with sinners and tax collectors. When Your disciples repeated what they said to You, You responded saying, ‘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.’
Today's gospel passage reminds us that there is hope for every sinner and that we should be less free with our criticism of sinners and more forthcoming with mercy. Self-righteous bigots condemn themselves. It is most comforting to know Beloved, that at God's banquet, there is always room for the repentant sinner.
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