Saint Matthew was an apostle, an evangelist, a martyr and is
probably the most famous former tax collector in the history of the world. Matthew was a Jew who collected taxes from
his fellow Jews on behalf of the occupying Roman forces—he was viewed as a
traitor to his own people. It was as disgraceful as being a murderer,
assassin, thief, or prostitute. People
were shocked to hear Jesus call such a man into his band of intimate
followers.
Jesus called Matthew and even shares a meal with him.
In the eyes of the Pharisees, Jesus was inviting all the
wrong people. In the Gospel we heard
them antagonistically ask the disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax
collectors and sinners?” Jesus gives a
two-fold response. First, he explains
that his mission is to forgive sins.
Just as a physician must go to the sick to heal them, Jesus goes to
sinners.
Second, Jesus tells the Pharisees that they need to go back
and reread the Prophet Hosea to determine what it means that “I desire mercy,
not sacrifice.” God’s prophet denounced
Israelites who were trying to cover up their grave sins with external acts of
piety such as having sacrifices offered at the Temple. So Jesus uses this quotation from the prophet
Hosea to challenge the Pharisees to not allow external practices such as their
table fellowship regulations to replace the steadfast love that must be shown
to God and all his people, including sinners and tax collectors.
Blessed John Paul II, lamented in our age, the great loss of
the sense of sin. He said, “While sin
abounds -- greed, dishonesty and corruption, broken relationships and
exploitation of persons, pornography and violence -- the recognition of
individual sinfulness has waned.”
John Paul was speaking about our culture, and also to
Catholics, who have a tendency to be sometimes Pharisaical--pointing to all the
nice things that they do, all the while having grave sins and harboring hatred
toward their neighbor.
Failing to recognize one’s sinfulness is a failure to
recognize our need for the Savior.
John Paul said, "Sin is an integral part of the truth
about the human person. To recognize oneself as a sinner is the first and
essential step in returning to the healing love of God”
We ask the intercession of the Apostle Matthew today in the
difficult task we have of bringing the Gospel of Mercy to a culture which has
lost its sense of sin. May we have the
humility of this repentant tax-collector, who gave his life in service of the
Church for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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