MONDAY, TWENTY FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
Feast of St. Matthew, the Evangelist
Eph 4: 1-7, 11-13 Ps 19: 2-5 Mt 9: 9-13
THE MERCIFUL GAZE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING
After years of pursuing wealth, respect, and success, a young businessman was deeply moved when his daughter asked, “Dad, when will you have time for me?” He realized that he had gained many things but was losing what mattered most. From that day, he chose to place God and family at the centre of his life.
A similar turning point unfolds in the Gospel through the call of Matthew. Jesus passes by the tax collector’s booth and sees a man whom society had already judged and dismissed. Tax collectors were considered public sinners, as symbols of greed and betrayal. Yet Jesus does not see Matthew through the eyes of condemnation. Looking upon him with love, He simply says, “Follow me.” Without hesitation, Matthew rises, leaves behind his tax booth, and follows Christ. The Fathers of the Church remind us that the encounter between Jesus and Matthew was far more than an ordinary meeting. They speak of the merciful gaze of Christ that penetrates beyond appearances and sees the core of every human heart. Jesus did not define Matthew by the reputation he carried. Instead, He saw the person Matthew could become through the transforming power of divine grace. God’s mercy always sees a future where we often see only a past. St. John Chrysostom observes that Matthew responded immediately because the call of Christ always carries within it the grace necessary to answer. God’s invitation is never given without also providing the strength to embrace it. Whenever the Lord calls, He also enables.
Every disciple has a personal “tax booth”—those attachments, habits, or attitudes that quietly prevent Christ from becoming the centre of life. For some, it may be pride or resentment; for others, an excessive attachment to comfort, wealth, technology, success, or the approval of others. The forms differ, but the invitation remains the same. Christ continues to pass through our lives each day, looking upon us with mercy and gently repeating the words He once addressed to Matthew: “Follow me.” Every day offers a fresh opportunity to rise, leave behind whatever enslaves the heart, and walk more closely with Him.
Response: Their sound goes forth through all the earth.
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