Saint Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist - Feast

There are certain kinds of people in this world which are difficult for some to accept and like. It could be the person's character or attitude, it could be the person's behaviour, or it could even be the person's job or way of life. For example, how many of us are genuinely willing to show care and concern to prostitutes if one happens to come to us for help, especially when the person is wanting to change to a different and better way of life? Would we be willing to help? Or have we become prejudiced towards such persons and prefer to shun them?

In today's Gospel, Jesus called a tax collector named Matthew to follow Him, and Matthew got up and followed him. Tax collectors were hated and shunned by the Jews, because they not only collected money from the Jews for the Romans, but they were also allowed to collect more (which could range from a bit more to a lot more) for their own survival. But Jesus was not only willing to call Matthew to follow Him, He was also willing to eat with the tax collectors and sinners. Eating with tax collectors and sinners was an unthinkable and shocking thing to the Jews, especially among the scribes and Pharisees, since they thought that people would normally eat only with good friends or close friends. But Jesus reminded them: "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."

What about us? Are we willing to offer our time with the tax collectors and sinners around us? Are we willing to eat with them, reach out to them, be a friend to them, and help them out? Or have we become like the scribes and Pharisees, self-righteous and only knowing how to condemn others? Remember that we too are sinners, and if God can be loving and merciful to us, shouldn't we be doing the same towards others?

Saint Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist - Feast

Every once in a while, we come across people who try to show their authority or their importance in church. Such people go through great effort to tell others how important they are, or how close they are to the bishop or parish priest, or how vital they are to keep a certain church ministry functioning. Some of us find such people quite obnoxious, since they seem to be trying so hard to be in the limelight and they make a big show on whatever they do. But as Christians, what sort of attitude should we have towards our role and responsibility in a ministry or as a church?

In today's reading, St. Paul reminds us: "I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together... Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. To some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ."

As Christians, our duty is to serve in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience, as St. Paul reminds us. If our motivation is to draw attention to ourselves while we serve, then are we serving the Lord, or are we actually serving ourselves? Let us check ourselves and be reminded that ultimately, all that we do ought not to be for our personal glorification or gratification, but for the glory of God.