My truth is your falsehood, and your falsehood is my truth. But there is such a thing as the plain truth. ...

“All people desire to leave a lasting mark. But what endures? Money does not. Even buildings do not, nor books. After a certain time, longer or shorter, all these things disappear. The only thing that lasts for ever is the human soul, the human person created by God for eternity.” -  Pope Benedict 16

(Gospel Text: LK 5:27-32)

Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.

He said to him, “Follow me.”

And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.

Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house,

and a large crowd of tax collectors

and others were at table with them.

The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,

“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

Jesus said to them in reply,

“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.

I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

Today in the first reading at Mass on the fourth day of Lent, the Lord promises we will receive many blessings from fasting, if we do not follow our own pursuits and seek our own interests on the Sabbath (Is 58:13-14). The Lord begins Lent by telling us repeatedly not to "do our own thing."

Levi, the tax collector, did his own thing. He sold his soul and his Jewish people to make money by collecting taxes for the Jews' victorious and oppressive enemy, the Roman Empire. One day Jesus went into Levi's office and invited him to repent of "doing his own thing" (see Lk 5:27). Levi left behind selfishness and sin to become a disciple and apostle of Jesus.

This Lent, Jesus sees us sitting there "doing our own thing." Jesus invites us to leave behind the slavery and emptiness of selfishness. Accept Jesus' invitation to freedom.

Today, walk away from preoccupation with self. Walk away with Jesus.