The Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle
Scripture:
Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13
Matthew: 9:9-13
Reflection:
And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with Jesus and his disciples. -Matthew 9:11
Have you ever gone to a dinner party and people wondered why certain “unsavory” persons were invited? Before Matthew became a disciple of Jesus, he was a tax collector. Tax collectors were despised because they worked for the Roman government and they collected taxes from their people, often times dishonestly. Mathew invited a number of his friends and acquaintances to his dinner party. The righteous Pharisees got upset with Jesus associating with them.
When confronted by the Pharisees, Jesus responds: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. (Mt. 9:13) Go and learn what he means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Jesus desires a merciful heart. All of us need God’s mercy due to our sins, faults, and failings. We need the mercy of others, and we need to provide mercy to others. (Sacred Space https://sacredspace.com/scripture/matthew-99-13/
Mercy is showing compassion to someone in distress. It can also mean the act of forgiving or being kind. Jesus is calling each of us to be persons of mercy: gentle, loving, forgiving going out of our way to assist others in need. On this feast day of St. Matthew, let us take some time to reflect and look honestly at my life.
To what degree do I realize I need God’s help in my life? How would I rate myself in showing mercy and forgiveness toward others?
Dear Lord, As I move through this day help me to treat all those around me as you want them mercifully treated.
Carl Middleton is a theologian/ethicist and a member of the Passionist Family.