Daily Scripture, September 21, 2021
Feast of St. Matthew Apostle and Evangelist
Scripture:
Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13
Matthew 9:9-13
Reflection:
Today is the feast of St. Matthew Apostle and Evangelist. Little is known about St. Matthew. He was a tax collector and in other synoptic gospels, he is referred to as Levi. The story of Matthew’s call is found in Matthew 9:9 “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”.
The renowned painting above is the “Call of Matthew” by the famous Italian Baroque painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610). Caravaggio focuses on the first shocking moment that Matthew realizes he is being called.
Do you remember when Jesus called you to follow him? In our first reading, St. Paul urges us to ”live in a manner worthy of the call you have received…Do what God has called you to do no matter how big or how small. God needs you, me and all of us to embrace and live our call. Take a moment today to discern what is God calling you to do. Like St. Matthew and St. Paul that ought to make a significant difference in our lives and influence how we behave. St. Paul continues by saying that God has given all of us gifts. Are we living in a manner worthy of our call? Are we humble and gentle, caring for one another through love? Are we daily building up the Body of Christ by our mercy, and compassion including self-compassion?
Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.
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