September 21, 2021

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

Lectionary: 643

Reading I

Eph 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. 

Responsorial Psalm

19:2-3, 4-5

1.  (5) 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.

Alleluia

See Te Deum

1. Alleluia, alleluia.
   We praise you, O God,
   we acclaim you as Lord;
   the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
   R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Mt 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.”

Reflection: JESUS FOR SINNERS

In one of the Jesus films when it comes to selecting his close disciples, the apostles, to 'be always with him and to proclaim the good news', there is a scene where Jesus calls Mathew. The man's face lights up. He is taken by surprise. Joy and many other feelings show up on his face. It says what he feels... that he is totally undeserving. He was an outcast of Jewish society. He was collecting taxes for the hated Romans and hence he was a traitor 'in the pay of the enemy'. To make matters worse Jews, in those days, like their cousins, the Arabs, were not known to be rich. Comparatively the tax collectors were well off - sinfully rich. And the Jews looked down on them. They went through the motions of spitting at them from a distance. Now imagine the surprise of Matthew, the tax collector, on being selected by this Jewish teacher to be a close disciple. Jesus clarifies that he was a doctor and naturally interested in the sick. He would heal Mathew and his friends. He would heal many more of us who may think that we are not sick at all and don't need any healing.