Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot
Lectionary: 310
Lectionary: 310
The word of God is
living and effective,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit,
joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
sharper than any two-edged sword,
penetrating even between soul and spirit,
joints and marrow,
and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
No creature is concealed from him,
but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him
to whom we must render an account.
Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God,
let us hold fast to our confession.
For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who has similarly been tested in every way,
yet without sin.
So let us confidently approach the throne of grace
to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.
Responsorial PsalmPS 19:8, 9, 10, 15
R. (see John 6:63c) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart
find favor before you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
AlleluiaLK 4:18
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor
and to proclaim liberty to captives.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 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 Levi, who was also named 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 Levi? The
orthodox Jews had a habit of dividing everyone into two groups - those who
rigidly kept the law of Moses 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
sinners shocked the sensibilities of these orthodox Jews.
When the Pharisees challenged his unorthodox
behavior in eating with public sinners, Jesus' defense 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 Jews 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)
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Discipleship |
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January 17, 2015.
Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot
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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.
By Father Shawn
Aaron, LC
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 17,
MARK 2:13-17
(Hebrews 4:12-16; Psalm 19)
KEY VERSE: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do" (v 17).
TO KNOW: 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. 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 that most often responded to Jesus' invitation to change their lives.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to answer your call with contrition and repentance.
TO SERVE: Do I look down on any group in my community?
(Hebrews 4:12-16; Psalm 19)
KEY VERSE: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do" (v 17).
TO KNOW: 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. 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 that most often responded to Jesus' invitation to change their lives.
TO LOVE: Lord Jesus, help me to answer your call with contrition and repentance.
TO SERVE: Do I look down on any group in my community?
Memorial of Anthony,
abbot
At age 35 Anthony moved to the desert where he lived alone for 20 years in an abandoned fort. He based his life on the Gospel, miraculously healing people and acting as spiritual counselor of others. When word spread, so many disciples arrived that Anthony founded other monasteries. Anthony briefly left his seclusion in 311, going to Alexandria to fight the Arian heresy, which denied the Divinity of Christ, and to comfort the victims of the Roman Emperor Maximinus' persecution. His sister too, had withdrawn from the world and directed a community of nuns. Anthony retired to the desert again, living in a cave on Mount Colzim. Anthony is the Father of Western Monasticism. His example led many to take up the monastic life, and to follow his way. His biography was written by his friend Saint Athanasius.
At age 35 Anthony moved to the desert where he lived alone for 20 years in an abandoned fort. He based his life on the Gospel, miraculously healing people and acting as spiritual counselor of others. When word spread, so many disciples arrived that Anthony founded other monasteries. Anthony briefly left his seclusion in 311, going to Alexandria to fight the Arian heresy, which denied the Divinity of Christ, and to comfort the victims of the Roman Emperor Maximinus' persecution. His sister too, had withdrawn from the world and directed a community of nuns. Anthony retired to the desert again, living in a cave on Mount Colzim. Anthony is the Father of Western Monasticism. His example led many to take up the monastic life, and to follow his way. His biography was written by his friend Saint Athanasius.
Saturday 17 January 2015
St Anthony.
Hebrews 4:12-16. Your words, Lord, are spirit and life—Ps 18(19):8-10, 15. Mark 2:13-17.
Hebrews 4:12-16. Your words, Lord, are spirit and life—Ps 18(19):8-10, 15. Mark 2:13-17.
‘Follow me.’
In Caravaggio’s famous
painting, ‘The Call of Matthew,’ the painter’s masterful use of light and
shadow lends great drama to the scene of Mathew sitting at the tax booth. He is
depicted bent covetously over his silver pieces and wedged in by gaudily
dressed acquaintances. The image is one of being entrapped by one’s own comfort
zone and attachments.
Jesus’ call, shown as a
dramatic pointing of the finger, brings light into the dark seediness of the
room and, by way of allusion, our hearts.
With the psalmist, we can
say that Jesus’ call is a call to spirit and life. It calls us beyond our
comfort zones and helps us recognise our attachments and the way they diminish
the life within us.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Preaching Jesus
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One of the things that we need to remember is that we’re preaching
Jesus, not the institutional Church. It’s easy to get caught up in the rules
and regulations of the institution and forget that we are saved not by the
Church but by the person of Jesus or the Church as the body of Christ.
January
17
St. Anthony of Egypt
(251-356)
St. Anthony of Egypt
(251-356)
The life of Anthony will remind many people of St. Francis of
Assisi. At 20, Anthony was so moved by the Gospel message, “Go, sell what you
have, and give to [the] poor” (Mark 10:21b), that he actually did just that
with his large inheritance. He is different from Francis in that most of
Anthony’s life was spent in solitude. He saw the world completely covered with
snares, and gave the Church and the world the witness of solitary asceticism,
great personal mortification and prayer. But no saint is antisocial, and
Anthony drew many people to himself for spiritual healing and guidance.
At 54, he
responded to many requests and founded a sort of monastery of scattered cells.
Again like Francis, he had great fear of “stately buildings and well-laden
tables.”
At 60, he
hoped to be a martyr in the renewed Roman persecution of 311, fearlessly
exposing himself to danger while giving moral and material support to those in
prison. At 88, he was fighting the Arian heresy, that massive trauma from which
it took the Church centuries to recover. “The mule kicking over the altar”
denied the divinity of Christ.
Anthony
is associated in art with a T-shaped cross, a pig and a book. The pig and the
cross are symbols of his valiant warfare with the devil—the cross his constant
means of power over evil spirits, the pig a symbol of the devil himself. The
book recalls his preference for “the book of nature” over the printed word.
Anthony died in solitude at 105.
Stories:
Lest we be misled by
the awesomeness of Anthony's asceticism, we have a statement from his
biographer (St. Athanasius, May 2)) that emphasizes the meaning and result of
all Christian life. "Strangers knew him from among his disciples by the
joy on his face."
Even the great
Emperor Constantine wrote to him, asking for his prayers. Anthony told his
friends, "Don't be surprised that the emperor writes to me—he's just
another man, as I am. But be astounded that God should have written to us, and
that he has spoken to us by his Son."
Comment:
In an age that smiles at the notion of devils and angels, a person known for having power over evil spirits must at least make us pause. And in a day when people speak of life as a “rat race,” one who devotes a whole life to solitude and prayer points to an essential of the Christian life in all ages. Anthony’s hermit life reminds us of the absoluteness of our break with sin and the totality of our commitment to Christ. Even in God’s good world, there is another world whose false values constantly tempt us.
In an age that smiles at the notion of devils and angels, a person known for having power over evil spirits must at least make us pause. And in a day when people speak of life as a “rat race,” one who devotes a whole life to solitude and prayer points to an essential of the Christian life in all ages. Anthony’s hermit life reminds us of the absoluteness of our break with sin and the totality of our commitment to Christ. Even in God’s good world, there is another world whose false values constantly tempt us.
LECTIO DIVINA:
MARK 2,13-17
Lectio:
Saturday, January 17, 2015
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)
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