Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 310
Lectionary: 310
There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.
When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
“This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”
Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
“Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish.”
Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head;
he also kissed him, saying:
“The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.
“This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.”
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.
Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.
When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
“This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”
Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
“Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish.”
Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head;
he also kissed him, saying:
“The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.
“This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.”
Responsorial Psalm PS 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
For you made him a blessing forever;
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
For you made him a blessing forever;
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Gospel MK
2:13-17
Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
Meditation: "Many sinners were sitting with
Jesus"
What draws us to the throne of God's mercy and
grace? Mark tells us that many people were drawn to Jesus, including the
unwanted and the unlovable, such as the lame, the blind, and the lepers, as
well as the homeless such as widows and orphans. But public sinners, like the town
prostitutes and corrupt tax collectors, were also drawn to Jesus. In calling
Matthew to be one of his disciples, Jesus picked one of the unlikeliest of men
– a tax collector who by profession was despised by the people.Why did the
religious leaders find fault with Jesus for making friends with sinners and tax
collectors like Matthew? The orthodox Jews had a habit of dividing everyone
into two groups: those who rigidly kept the law and its minute regulations and
those who did not. They latter were treated like second class citizens. The
orthodox scrupulously avoided their company, refused to do business with them,
refused to give or receive anything from them, refused to intermarry, and
avoided any form of entertainment with them, including table fellowship. Jesus'
association with the latter, especially with tax collectors and sinners,
shocked the sensibilities of these orthodox Jews.
When the Pharisees challenged his unorthodox
behavior in eating with public sinners, Jesus' defence was quite simple. A doctor
doesn't need to visit healthy people; instead he goes to those who are
sick. Jesus likewise sought out those in the greatest need. A true
physician seeks healing of the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. Jesus
came as the divine physician and good shepherd to care for his people and to
restore them to wholeness of life.The orthodox were so preoccupied with their
own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed
care. Their religion was selfish because they didn't want to have anything to
do with people not like themselves. Jesus stated his mission in unequivocal
terms: I came not to call the righteous, but to call sinners. Ironically
the orthodox were as needy as those they despised. All have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Lord
fills us with his grace and mercy. And he wants us, in turn, to seek the
good of our neighbors, including the unlikeable and the trouble-maker by
showing them the same kindness and mercy which we have received. Do you thank
the Lord for the great kindness and mercy he has shown to you?
"Lord Jesus, our Savior, let us now come to
you: Our hearts are cold; Lord, warm them with your selfless love. Our hearts
are sinful; cleanse them with your precious blood. Our hearts are weak;
strengthen them with your joyous Spirit. Our hearts are empty; fill them with
your divine presence. Lord Jesus, our hearts are yours; possess them always and
only for yourself." (Prayer
of Augustine, 4th century)
 Discipleship |
|
Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
|
|
Father Shawn Aaron, LC
Mark 2:13-17
Once again he went out along the sea. All the crowd came to
him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
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 sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many
who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that he was eating with
sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, "Why does he eat
with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus heard this and said to them
that, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I
did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
Introductory Prayer: God our Father, in your
eyes I am like a little child whom you tenderly watch over. God the Son, in
your eyes I am like a poor, helpless sheep whom you gently pick up and carry
when I’m worn out from my sins. God the Holy Spirit, in your eyes I am like a
dry piece of wood that you wish to set ablaze with the fire of your love.
Thank you, Holy Trinity, for wanting to bring me into your holy friendship. I
am completely unworthy of your love but so grateful to find rest and a true
home in you.
Petition:Lord, grant me a generous heart.
1. He Got Up and Followed Him: “‘He
rose and followed him.’ The conciseness of the phrase clearly underlines
Matthew’s promptness in response to the call…. In this ‘rising’ one can see
the detachment from a situation of sin and, at the same time, the conscious
adherence to a new life, upright, in communion with Jesus” (Pope-Emeritus
Benedict XVI, General Audience, August 30, 2006). Holiness of life is not
simply separation from what is sinful, but a participation in the love and
holiness of God. It is not just separation from something, but transformation
into the someone God has created us to be. When he calls, Jesus never gives
us a map, only a compass. We do not see the full picture, we simply know the
direction. Each day he invites us to follow him, to deepen the communion of
love with him, and to keep our eyes fixed on him as on a “lamp shining in a
dark place” (2 Peter 1:19). Matthew really had no clue where his life would
end up. But he did know that it had to change and where that change needed to
begin. Matthew was so utterly convinced that Jesus was worthy of his trust
that he surrendered his life to him. We must daily choose to follow Matthew’s
example of how to follow Jesus.
2. While He Was at Table in His House: “Behold!
I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door,
I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me” (Revelation 3:20).
They are celebrating Matthew’s vocation to follow Jesus. Matthew could have
said “no” or “not yet” or “not now.” But consider the effects if such a
refusal had taken place. For starters there would have been no dinner feast,
and consequently many of Matthew’s friends would have missed an intimate
encounter with Jesus that night – an encounter that forever changed some of
their lives. Jesus knocked at the door of Matthew’s life, and Matthew opened
it wide to Jesus. Then, like the Samaritan woman, he ran to get others so
that they too might meet Jesus. By way of Matthew’s “yes,” Jesus started
touching the lives of others. Whenever we say “yes” to Jesus, he will work
not only in us, but also through us. Once again, today he will invite us to
say “yes” to his will and thereby be his instrument of grace for others. “I
am standing at the door, knocking.…”
3. Why Does Your Teacher Eat with Tax Collectors and Sinners?He does
so that we might learn two lessons: the depth of his love for every soul, and
how we must love others unconditionally. “God proves his love for us in that
while we still were sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Loving a person
unconditionally does not mean that we blithely accept their sin. We love them
despite their sin and in the hope that one day they will leave it aside.
Mercy is the one form of love that we can never directly exercise toward God,
yet it is his greatest expression of love for each one of us. Through Jesus’
dying on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins, God has revealed the
pinnacle of love. Thus, when we practice mercy, forgiveness, patience, etc.
towards those around us, we are imitating the highest form of love. Jesus ate
with tax collectors and sinners for the same reason he called Matthew to
follow him: because he loves us and wants to share his life with us.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, the
call to follow you is a call to conversion of heart. Touch my heart with your
grace in such a way that my thoughts and actions may always reflect my desire
to imitate your example of love. Make me patient in each situation and
capable of forgiving those who may cause me harm or create difficulties.
Resolution: Today I will speak to
someone – whether a family member, friend, coworker, acquaintance or stranger
– about my gratitude to Jesus Christ.
|
SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, MARK 2:13-17
(1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19, 10:1a; Psalm 21)
(1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19, 10:1a; Psalm 21)
KEY VERSE: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do" (v 17).
READING: As Jesus walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw a man named Levi sitting at his custom post ("Matthew" in Mt 9:9). Tax-collectors (Publicans) were despised by their fellow Jews because many of them charged exorbitant profits on the collection of duties on goods. Furthermore, their work was viewed as collaboration with the Roman government that occupied Israel. Nevertheless, Jesus invited Levi to follow him as a disciple, and he responded immediately. Levi in turn invited Jesus and his disciples to a banquet at his home. Some Pharisaical scribes were outraged at such an association since it was believed that table-fellowship with sinners brought about ritual impurity. Jesus declared that he had not come for the self-righteous who thought they had no sin, but for those who recognized their need for salvation. It was these humble ones who responded to Jesus' invitation to change their lives.
REFLECTING: Do I look down on any group in my community?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, help me to answer your call with contrition and repentance.
OPTIONAL MEMORIAL OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Chapter V of the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, issued by the Holy See in December 2001, describes the Church's traditional dedication of Saturday to the Virgin Mary. "Saturdays stand out among those days dedicated to the Virgin Mary. These are designated as memorials of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (218). The chapter also describes the importance of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, in Catholic devotional life, including the Liturgy, and includes reflections on popular devotions to Mary, her feast days, and the Rosary. See the complete document on Vatican web site (www.vatican.va) Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy.
JANUARY 18-25: WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN
UNITY
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity has been a world observance since 1894. It strengthens the cause of ecumenism by gathering Christians of different churches for common action. The week is marked worldwide with prayer services, Bible studies and other activities, which bring the Christian community together. The week is celebrated each January, usually between the 18th and 25th. Rev. Paul Watson, founder of the Franciscan Society of the Atonement at Graymoor in Garrison, NY, proposed these dates in 1908, to cover the days between the feasts of St. Peter and of St. Paul. Each year, a scripture verse is selected to set the theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The theme for 2014 is: "Has Christ been divided?" (1 Cor 1:1-17). The text is jointly published by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and World Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
God Within Us
Silence, for the Christian, is not just the absence of speech but
also the stillness of soul in which our true self is united with its Creator
and Father. We become silent in awe and wonder, as we contemplate God within
us. It is an experience too rich and delicate for words.
Lord, your strength gives joy to
the king
Jesus, I like to think that if you walked by and said ‘Follow me’,
I, like Matthew, would do just that.But I wonder how well I would have coped with your Galilean friends! Sometimes my sympathies veer close to the Pharisees’ point of view! The party at your house sounds like it was decidedly noisy and raucous. Tax collectors and sinners of assorted hues were not known for their discretion and decorum. I have a sinking feeling that it would not have been my scene, that I too, like the scribes, would not have approved. Of course, you are not asking me to follow you in first century Galilee. Yet I am as surely called to follow you as Matthew was, anointed by the oil of my baptism to serve you and your people whoever they are.
January 18
St. Charles of Sezze
(1613-1670)
St. Charles of Sezze
(1613-1670)
Charles thought that God was calling him to be a missionary in
India, but he never got there. God had something better for this 17th-century
successor to Brother Juniper.
Born in
Sezze, southeast of Rome, Charles was inspired by the lives of Salvator Horta
and Paschal Baylon to become a Franciscan; he did that in 1635. Charles tells
us in his autobiography, "Our Lord put in my heart a determination to
become a lay brother with a great desire to be poor and to beg alms for his
love."
Charles
served as cook, porter, sacristan, gardener and beggar at various friaries in
Italy. In some ways, he was "an accident waiting to happen." He once
started a huge fire in the kitchen when the oil in which he was frying onions
burst into flames.
One story
shows how thoroughly Charles adopted the spirit of St. Francis. The superior
ordered Charles — then porter — to give food only to traveling friars who came
to the door. Charles obeyed this direction; simultaneously the alms to the
friars decreased. Charles convinced the superior the two facts were related.
When the friars resumed giving goods to all who asked at the door, alms to the
friars increased also.
At the
direction of his confessor Charles wrote his autobiography, The
Grandeurs of the Mercies of God. He also wrote several other spiritual
books. He made good use of his various spiritual directors throughout the
years; they helped him discern which of Charles’ ideas or ambitions were from
God. Charles himself was sought out for spiritual advice. The dying Pope
Clement IX called Charles to his bedside for a blessing.
Charles
had a firm sense of God’s providence. Father Severino Gori has said, "By
word and example he recalled in all the need of pursuing only that which is
eternal" (Leonard Perotti, St. Charles of Sezze: An Autobiography,
page 215).
He died
at San Francesco a Ripa in Rome and was buried there. Pope John XXIII canonized
him in 1959.
Comment:
The drama in the lives of the saints is mostly interior. Charles’ life was spectacular only in his cooperation with God’s grace. He was captivated by God’s majesty and great mercy to all of us.
The drama in the lives of the saints is mostly interior. Charles’ life was spectacular only in his cooperation with God’s grace. He was captivated by God’s majesty and great mercy to all of us.
Quote:
Father Gori says that the autobiography of Charles "stands as a very strong refutation of the opinion, quite common among religious people, that saints are born saints, that they are privileged right from their first appearance on this earth. This is not so. Saints become saints in the usual way, due to the generous fidelity of their correspondence to divine grace. They had to fight just as we do, and more so, against their passions, the world and the devil" (St. Charles of Sezze: An Autobiography, page viii).
Father Gori says that the autobiography of Charles "stands as a very strong refutation of the opinion, quite common among religious people, that saints are born saints, that they are privileged right from their first appearance on this earth. This is not so. Saints become saints in the usual way, due to the generous fidelity of their correspondence to divine grace. They had to fight just as we do, and more so, against their passions, the world and the devil" (St. Charles of Sezze: An Autobiography, page viii).
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 2,13-17
Lectio:
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Father of love, hear our prayers.
Help us to know your will
and to do it with courage and faith.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Father of love, hear our prayers.
Help us to know your will
and to do it with courage and faith.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 2,13-17
He went out again to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking along he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him.
When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, 'Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?' When Jesus heard this he said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I came to call not the upright, but sinners.'
He went out again to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking along he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him.
When Jesus was at dinner in his house, a number of tax collectors and sinners were also sitting at table with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many of them among his followers. When the scribes of the Pharisee party saw him eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, 'Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?' When Jesus heard this he said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I came to call not the upright, but sinners.'
3) Reflection
• In yesterday’s Gospel, we have seen the first conflict which arose concerning the forgiveness of sins (Mk 2, 1-12). In today’s Gospel we meditate on the second conflict which arose when Jesus sat at table with the sinners (Mk 2, 13-17). In the years 70’s, the time when Mark wrote, in the communities there was a conflict between Christians who had been converted from Paganism and those from Judaism. Those from Judaism found great difficult to enter into the house of converted Pagans and to sit with them around the same table (cf. Acts 10, 28; 11, 3). In describing how Jesus faces this conflict, Mark orientates the community to solve the problem.
• Jesus taught, and the people were happy to listen to him. Jesus goes out again to go near the sea. People arrive and he begins to teach them. He transmits the Word of God. In Mark’s Gospel, the beginning of the activity of Jesus is characterized by much teaching and much acceptance on the part of the people (Mk 1, 14.21.38-39; 2, 2.13), in spite of the conflicts with religious authority. What did Jesus teach? Jesus proclaimed the Good News of God (Mk 1, 14). He spoke about God, but he spoke in a new way, different. He spoke starting from his experience, of the experience which he himself had of God and of Life. Jesus lived in God. And surely he had touched the heart of the people who liked to listen to him (Mk 1, 22.27). God, instead of being a severe Jew who threatens from far, at a distance, with punishment and hell, becomes once again, a friendly presence, a Good News for the people.
• Jesus calls a sinner to be a disciple and invites him to eat in his house. Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, and he, immediately, leaves everything and follows Jesus. He begins to be part of the group of the disciples. Immediately, the text says literally: While Jesus was at table in his house. Some think that in his house means the house of Levi. But the most probable translation is that it was a question of the house of Jesus. It is Jesus who invites all to eat in his house: sinners and tax collectors, together with the disciples.
• Jesus has come not for the just, but for sinners. This gesture or act of Jesus causes the religious authority to get very angry. It was forbidden to sit at table with tax collectors and sinners, because to sit at table with someone meant that he was considered a brother! Instead of speaking directly with Jesus, the Scribes of the Pharisees speak with the disciples: How is it that he eats and drinks together with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus responds: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I came to call not the upright, but sinners! As before with the disciples (Mk 1, 38), now also, it is the conscience of his mission which helps Jesus to find the response and to indicate the way for the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus.
• In yesterday’s Gospel, we have seen the first conflict which arose concerning the forgiveness of sins (Mk 2, 1-12). In today’s Gospel we meditate on the second conflict which arose when Jesus sat at table with the sinners (Mk 2, 13-17). In the years 70’s, the time when Mark wrote, in the communities there was a conflict between Christians who had been converted from Paganism and those from Judaism. Those from Judaism found great difficult to enter into the house of converted Pagans and to sit with them around the same table (cf. Acts 10, 28; 11, 3). In describing how Jesus faces this conflict, Mark orientates the community to solve the problem.
• Jesus taught, and the people were happy to listen to him. Jesus goes out again to go near the sea. People arrive and he begins to teach them. He transmits the Word of God. In Mark’s Gospel, the beginning of the activity of Jesus is characterized by much teaching and much acceptance on the part of the people (Mk 1, 14.21.38-39; 2, 2.13), in spite of the conflicts with religious authority. What did Jesus teach? Jesus proclaimed the Good News of God (Mk 1, 14). He spoke about God, but he spoke in a new way, different. He spoke starting from his experience, of the experience which he himself had of God and of Life. Jesus lived in God. And surely he had touched the heart of the people who liked to listen to him (Mk 1, 22.27). God, instead of being a severe Jew who threatens from far, at a distance, with punishment and hell, becomes once again, a friendly presence, a Good News for the people.
• Jesus calls a sinner to be a disciple and invites him to eat in his house. Jesus calls Levi, a tax collector, and he, immediately, leaves everything and follows Jesus. He begins to be part of the group of the disciples. Immediately, the text says literally: While Jesus was at table in his house. Some think that in his house means the house of Levi. But the most probable translation is that it was a question of the house of Jesus. It is Jesus who invites all to eat in his house: sinners and tax collectors, together with the disciples.
• Jesus has come not for the just, but for sinners. This gesture or act of Jesus causes the religious authority to get very angry. It was forbidden to sit at table with tax collectors and sinners, because to sit at table with someone meant that he was considered a brother! Instead of speaking directly with Jesus, the Scribes of the Pharisees speak with the disciples: How is it that he eats and drinks together with tax collectors and sinners? Jesus responds: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. I came to call not the upright, but sinners! As before with the disciples (Mk 1, 38), now also, it is the conscience of his mission which helps Jesus to find the response and to indicate the way for the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus.
4) Personal questions
• Jesus calls a sinner, a tax collector, a person hated by the people, to be his disciple. Which is the message for us in this act of Jesus, of the Catholic Church?
• Jesus says that he has come to call sinners. Are there laws and customs in our Church which prevent sinners to have access to Jesus? What can we do to change these laws and these customs?
• Jesus calls a sinner, a tax collector, a person hated by the people, to be his disciple. Which is the message for us in this act of Jesus, of the Catholic Church?
• Jesus says that he has come to call sinners. Are there laws and customs in our Church which prevent sinners to have access to Jesus? What can we do to change these laws and these customs?
5) Concluding prayer
May the words of my mouth always find favour,
and the whispering of my heart, in your presence,
Yahweh, my rock, my redeemer. (Ps 19,14)
May the words of my mouth always find favour,
and the whispering of my heart, in your presence,
Yahweh, my rock, my redeemer. (Ps 19,14)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét