"Openness to God makes us open
towards the marginalized of this world, and gives us the courage to leave the
confines of our own security and comfort to become bruised, hurting and dirty
as we joyfully approach the suffering other in a spirit of solidarity." –
Pope Francis
Gospel
Text: (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."
Whom did he choose? Matthew, the
author of today’s Gospel, indicates that he went to tax collectors
-- like himself -- and to “sinners”.
Jesus doesn’t seem to care what
official status one has in society; he does however seem to care deeply
about who you are as a person. In fact he seems attracted primarily to those
with little or no status in society. Jesus seems attracted to peasants,
fishermen, children, women, the physically and mentally impaired – yes even
outcasts and “sinners.”
Today’s Gospel prompted me to ask: To
whom would Jesus be attracted to today? Whom would he call to be his closest
disciples?
Do we ostracize and demean certain
groups of people whom Jesus himself might be specially drawn to?
Today’s Gospel got me wondering………..
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