Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and
evangelist
Lectionary: 643
Lectionary: 643
Brothers and sisters:
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ's gift.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.
I, a prisoner for the Lord,
urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
bearing with one another through love,
striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit
through the bond of peace:
one Body and one Spirit,
as you were also called to the one hope of your call;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God and Father of all,
who is over all and through all and in all.
But grace was given to each of us
according to the measure of Christ's gift.
And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets,
others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers,
to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry,
for building up the Body of Christ,
until we all attain to the unity of faith
and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,
to the extent of the full stature of Christ.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 19:2-3, 4-5
R. (5) Their
message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Alleluia —
See Te Deum
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMT 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."
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."
Meditation: "I desire mercy - not sacrifice"
What is God's call on your life? Jesus chose Matthew
to be his follower and friend, not because Matthew was religious or learned,
popular or saintly. Matthew appeared to be none of those. He chose to live a
life of wealth and ease. His profession was probably the most corrupted and
despised by everyone because tax collectors made themselves wealthy by
over-charging and threatening people if they did not hand over their money to
them.
God searches our heart
What did Jesus see in Matthew that others did not see? When the prophet Samuel came to the house of Jesse to anoint the future heir to the throne of Israel, he bypassed all the first seven sons and chose the last! "God looks at the heart and not at the appearance of a man" he declared. David's heart was like a compass looking for true north - it pointed to God. Matthew's heart must have yearned for God, even though he dare not show his face in a synagogue - the Jewish house of prayer and the study of Torah - God's law. When Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax office - no doubt counting his day's profit - Jesus spoke only two words - "follow me". Those two words changed Matthew from a self-serving profiteer to a God-serving apostle who would bring the treasures of God's kingdom to the poor and needy.
What did Jesus see in Matthew that others did not see? When the prophet Samuel came to the house of Jesse to anoint the future heir to the throne of Israel, he bypassed all the first seven sons and chose the last! "God looks at the heart and not at the appearance of a man" he declared. David's heart was like a compass looking for true north - it pointed to God. Matthew's heart must have yearned for God, even though he dare not show his face in a synagogue - the Jewish house of prayer and the study of Torah - God's law. When Jesus saw Matthew sitting at his tax office - no doubt counting his day's profit - Jesus spoke only two words - "follow me". Those two words changed Matthew from a self-serving profiteer to a God-serving apostle who would bring the treasures of God's kingdom to the poor and needy.
John Chrysostom, the great 5th century church father,
describes Matthew's calling: "Why did Jesus not call Matthew at the same
time as he called Peter and John and the rest? He came to each one at a
particular time when he knew that they would respond to him. He came at a
different time to call Matthew when he was assured that Matthew would surrender
to his call. Similarly, he called Paul at a different time when he was
vulnerable, after the resurrection, something like a hunter going after his
quarry. for he who is acquainted with our inmost hearts and knows the secrets
of our minds knows when each one of us is ready to respond fully. Therefore he
did not call them all together at the beginning, when Matthew was still in a
hardened condition. Rather, only after countless miracles, after his fame
spread abroad, did he call Matthew. He knew Matthew had been softened for full
responsiveness."
Jesus- the divine physician
When the Pharisees challenged Jesus' 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 were so preoccupied with their own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed spiritual 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).
When the Pharisees challenged Jesus' 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 were so preoccupied with their own practice of religion that they neglected to help the very people who needed spiritual 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).
On more than one occasion Jesus quoted the saying from
the prophet Hosea: For I desire mercy and not sacrifice (Hosea
6:6). Do you thank the Lord Jesus for the great mercy he has shown to
you? And do you show mercy to your neighbor as well?
"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, 354-430)
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Matthew did not delay when called by Jesus,
by Chromatius (died 406 AD)
"The Lord, about to give salvation to all sinners
believing in him, willingly chose Matthew the former publican. The gift of his
esteem for Matthew stands as an example for our salvation. Every sinner must be
chosen by God and can receive the grace of eternal salvation if one is not
without a religious mind and a devout heart. So Matthew was chosen willingly by
God. And though he is immersed in worldly affairs, because of his sincere
religious devotion he is judged worthy to be called forth by the Lord
("Follow me"), who by virtue of his divine nature knows the hidden
recesses of the heart. From what follows, we know that Matthew was accepted by
the Lord not by reason of his status but of his faith and devotion. As soon as
the Lord says to him, "Follow me," he does not linger or delay, but
thereupon “he arose and followed him." (excerpt
from TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 45.1)
[Note: Chromatius was an early Christian scholar and
bishop of Aquileia, Italy. He was a close friend of John Chrysostom and Jerome.
He died in 406 AD. Jerome described
him as a "most learned and most holy man."]
FEAST OF
SAINT MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, MATTHEW 9:9-13
(Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13; Psalm 19)
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, MATTHEW 9:9-13
(Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13; Psalm 19)
KEY VERSE: "He said to him, 'Follow me' (v 13).
TO KNOW: Matthew, one of the Twelve apostles, is called Levi in Mark and Luke's gospel, which is perhaps a tribal designation (Mk 2:14, Lk 5:27). Matthew was a collector of taxes, a "publican," so called because he dealt with public funds. A tax collector purchased the right to collect taxes in a certain area, and was allowed to keep a commission on anything he collected over and above the agreed sum. Pious Jews looked upon tax collectors as sinners because they collaborated with the occupying Roman forces. Moreover, they were suspected of extorting money from their own people. Though aware of Matthew's reputation, Jesus invited him to be a disciple. In turn, Matthew invited Jesus to dine with him and some friends who were also social outcasts. The Pharisees were shocked at Jesus' apparent disregard for the law. Jesus quoted the prophet Hosea who said that mercy was superior to the law (Hos 6:6). Those who knew they were sinners recognized their need for healing, while the self-righteous did not realize that they were in need of God's forgiveness.
TO LOVE: Let us "who hold and teach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the apostles" continue in our own time to hand on the faith that we have received. [Eucharistic Prayer I]
TO SERVE: St. Matthew, help me to respond to Jesus' invitation as you did.
FEAST OF SAINT MATTHEW, APOSTLE
AND EVANGELIST
Matthew, son of Alphaeus, lived at Capenaum on Lake Genesareth (Sea of Galilee). Matthew was a tax-collector and must have been hated by the Jews for having entered the civil service of their Roman conquerors. When Jesus called Matthew, as he sat at his customs post, Matthew rose up and followed him, leaving everything behind him except one thing--his pen. Matthew used his literary skill to compile an account of the teachings of Jesus. He wrote especially for members of the Jewish people to show them that the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus Christ Matthew's Gospel is given pride of place in the canon of the New Testament.
UNITED NATIONS’ INTERNATIONAL DAY
OF PEACE
The United Nations General Assembly decided that, beginning in 2002, the International Day of Peace should be observed on 21 September each year. The Assembly declared that the day be observed as an invitation to all nations and people to honor a cessation of hostilities during the day. It invited all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, regional and non-governmental organizations and individuals to commemorate the day in an appropriate manner, including education and public awareness, and to cooperate with the United Nations in establishing a global ceasefire.
Thursday 21
September 2017
St Matthew.
Ephesians
4:1-7, 11-13. Psalm 18(19):2-5. Matthew 9:9-13.
Their
message goes out through all the earth — Psalm 18(19):2-5.
‘I did not
come to call the virtuous but sinners.’
Lord, your words must have given
comfort and hope to the shady characters at Matthew’s conversion party, and to
Matthew himself, and they encourage me today.
Were you smiling, I wonder, when
you singled out sinners for special care? For in calling sinners, and assuring
them of mercy and forgiveness, you call us all, offering us also the loving
pardon of God. Yet we must never allow God’s ready forgiveness to be confused
with indifference to sin.
A glance at the crucifix show us
the vastness of God’s love for us and of his longing for our salvation, but
shows us also the hatefulness and horror of deliberate sinning.
The gospels are more than accounts
of one who lived long ago. They are words of and about the risen Christ
speaking to us now.
May Christ risen help us to
respond to him as Matthew did, and may we, like Matthew, help others to the
Lord who loves all.
ST. MATTHEW, APOSTLE
Saint Matthew, the first-century tax collector turned apostle who
chronicled the life and ministry of Christ in his Gospel, is celebrated by the
Church today, September 21. Although relatively little is known about the life
of St. Matthew, the account he wrote of Christ's ministry – traditionally
considered to be the first of the four Gospels - is of inestimable value to the
Church, particularly in its verification of Jesus as the Messiah.
Eastern
Catholics and the Orthodox churches celebrate St. Matthew on November 16, along
with St. Fulvianus, a prince who is recorded in some traditions as converting
from paganism after Matthew's martyrdom.
The
Gospel accounts of Mark and Luke, like Matthew's own, describe the encounter
between Jesus and Matthew under the surprising circumstances of Matthew's
tax-collecting duties. Jewish publicans, who collected taxes on behalf of the
Roman rulers of first-century Judea, were objects of scorn and even hatred
among their own communities, since they worked on behalf of the occupying power
and often earned their living by collecting more than the state's due.
Jesus
most likely first encountered Matthew near the house of Peter, in Capernaum
near the Sea of Galilee. The meeting of the two was dramatic, as Matthew's
third-person account in his Gospel captured: “As Jesus passed on,” the ninth
chapter recounts, “he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He
said to him, 'Follow me'. And he got up and followed him.”
Matthew's
calling into Jesus' inner circle was a dramatic gesture of the Messiah's
universal message and mission, causing some religious authorities of the Jewish
community to wonder: “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and
sinners?” Jesus' significant response indicated a central purpose of his
ministry: “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
A
witness to Christ's resurrection after death, as well as his ascension into
heaven and the events of Pentecost, Matthew also recorded Jesus' instruction
for the apostles to “go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Like
11 of the 12 apostles, St. Matthew is traditionally thought to have died as a
martyr while preaching the Gospel. The Roman Martyrology describes his death as
occurring in a territory near present-day Egypt.
Both
the saint himself, and his Gospel narrative, have inspired important works of
religious art, ranging from the ornate illuminated pages of the Book of Kells
in the ninth century, to the Saint Matthew Passion of J.S. Bach. Three famous
paintings of Caravaggio, depicting St. Matthew's calling, inspiration and
martyrdom, hang within the Contarelli Chapel in Rome's Church of St. Louis of
the French.
Reflecting
on St. Matthew's calling, from the pursuit of dishonest financial gain to the
heights of holiness and divine inspiration, Pope Benedict said in 2006 that “in
the figure of Matthew, the Gospels present to us a true and proper paradox:
those who seem to be the farthest from holiness can even become a model of the
acceptance of God's mercy and offer a glimpse of its marvelous effects in their
own lives.”
LECTIO: ST. MATTHEW, THE
EVANGELIST - MT 9,9-13
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, September 21, 2017
St.
Matthew, the Evangelist
Ordinary
Time
1) Opening prayer
Father,
you call your children
to walk in the light of Christ.
Free us from darkness
and keep us in the radiance of your truth.
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.
you call your children
to walk in the light of Christ.
Free us from darkness
and keep us in the radiance of your truth.
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 - Matthew 9,9-13
As Jesus was walking on from there he
saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, 'Follow
me.' And he got up and followed him.
Now while he was at table in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, 'Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?'
When he heard this he replied, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. And indeed I came to call not the upright, but sinners.'
Now while he was at table in the house it happened that a number of tax collectors and sinners came to sit at the table with Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, 'Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?'
When he heard this he replied, 'It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick. Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. And indeed I came to call not the upright, but sinners.'
3) Reflection
• The Sermon on the Mountain takes
chapters 5, 6 and 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. The purpose of the
narrative part of chapters 8 and 9 is to show how Jesus put into practice what
he had just taught. In the Sermon on the Mountain, he teaches acceptance
(Mt 5, 23-25. 38-42.43). Now he puts it into practice accepting the
lepers (Mt 8, 1-4), the foreigners (Mt 8, 5-13), the women (Mt 8, 14-15), the
sick (Mt 8, 16-17), the possessed (Mt 8, 28-34), the paralytics (Mt 9, 1-8),
the tax collectors (Mt 9, 9-13), the unclean persons (Mt 9, 20-22), etc.
Jesus breaks the norms and the customs which excluded and divided persons, that
is with the fear and the lack of faith (Mt 8, 23-27) the laws on purity (9,
14-17), and he clearly says which are the requirements for those who want to
follow him. They should have the courage to abandon many things (Mt 8,
18-22). In the same way in the attitudes and in the practice of Jesus we
see in what the Kingdom and the perfect observance of the Law of God consists.
• Matthew 9, 9: The call to follow Jesus. The first persons called to follow Jesus are four fishermen, all Jewish (Mt 4, 18-22). Now Jesus calls a tax collector, considered a sinner and treated as an unclean person by the community of the most observant of the Pharisees. In the other Gospels, this tax collector is called Levi. Here, his name is Matthew, which means gift of God or given by God. The communities, instead of excluding the tax collector and of considering him unclean, should consider him a Gift of God for the community, because his presence makes the community become a sign of salvation for all! Like the first four who were called, in the same way also Matthew, the tax collector, leaves everything that he has and follows Jesus. The following of Jesus requires breaking away from many things. Matthew leaves the tax office, his source of revenue and follows Jesus!
• Matthew 9, 10: Jesus sits at table with sinners and tax collectors. At that time the Jews lived separated from the tax collectors and sinners and they did not eat with them at the same table. The Christian Jews should break away from this isolation and sit at table with the tax collectors and with the unclean, according to the teaching given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mountain, the expression of the universal love of God the Father (Mt 5, 44-48). The mission of the communities was that of offering a place to those who did not have it. But this new law was not accepted by all. In some communities persons coming from paganism, even if they were Christians, were not accepted around the same table (cf. Ac 10, 28; 11, 3; Ga 2, 12). The text of today’s Gospel shows us Jesus who sits at table with tax collectors and sinners in the same house, around the same table.
• Matthew 9, 11: The question of the Pharisees. Jews were forbidden to sit at table with the tax collectors and with sinners, but Jesus does not follow this prohibition. Rather he becomes a friend to them. The Pharisees seeing the attitude of Jesus, ask the disciples: “Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” This question may be interpreted as an expression of their desire to know why Jesus acts in that way. Others interpret the question like a criticism of Jesus’ behaviour, because for over five hundred years, from the time of the slavery in Babylon until the time of Jesus, the Jews had observed the laws of purity. This secular observance became a strong sign of identity. At the same time it was a factor of their separation in the midst of other peoples. Thus, because of the laws on purity, they could not nor did they succeed to sit around the same table to eat with tax collectors. To eat with tax collectors meant to get contaminated, to become unclean. The precepts of legal purity were rigorously observed, in Palestine as well as in the Jewish communities of the Diaspora. At the time of Jesus, there were more than five hundred precepts to keep purity. In the years 70’s, at the time when Matthew wrote, this conflict was very actual.
• Matthew 9, 12-13: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. Jesus hears the question of the Pharisees to the disciples and he answers with two clarifications: the first one is taken from common sense: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick”. The second one is taken from the Bible: “Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. Through these clarifications, Jesus makes explicit and clarifies his mission among the people: “I have not come to call the upright but sinners”. Jesus denies the criticism of the Pharisees; he does not accept their arguments, because they came from a false idea of the Law of God. He himself invokes the Bible: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. For Jesus, mercy is more important than legal purity. He refers to the prophetic tradition to say that mercy has greater value for God than all sacrifices (Ho 6, 6; Is 1, 10-17). God has profound mercy, and is moved before the failures of his people (Ho 11, 8-9).
• Matthew 9, 9: The call to follow Jesus. The first persons called to follow Jesus are four fishermen, all Jewish (Mt 4, 18-22). Now Jesus calls a tax collector, considered a sinner and treated as an unclean person by the community of the most observant of the Pharisees. In the other Gospels, this tax collector is called Levi. Here, his name is Matthew, which means gift of God or given by God. The communities, instead of excluding the tax collector and of considering him unclean, should consider him a Gift of God for the community, because his presence makes the community become a sign of salvation for all! Like the first four who were called, in the same way also Matthew, the tax collector, leaves everything that he has and follows Jesus. The following of Jesus requires breaking away from many things. Matthew leaves the tax office, his source of revenue and follows Jesus!
• Matthew 9, 10: Jesus sits at table with sinners and tax collectors. At that time the Jews lived separated from the tax collectors and sinners and they did not eat with them at the same table. The Christian Jews should break away from this isolation and sit at table with the tax collectors and with the unclean, according to the teaching given by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mountain, the expression of the universal love of God the Father (Mt 5, 44-48). The mission of the communities was that of offering a place to those who did not have it. But this new law was not accepted by all. In some communities persons coming from paganism, even if they were Christians, were not accepted around the same table (cf. Ac 10, 28; 11, 3; Ga 2, 12). The text of today’s Gospel shows us Jesus who sits at table with tax collectors and sinners in the same house, around the same table.
• Matthew 9, 11: The question of the Pharisees. Jews were forbidden to sit at table with the tax collectors and with sinners, but Jesus does not follow this prohibition. Rather he becomes a friend to them. The Pharisees seeing the attitude of Jesus, ask the disciples: “Why does your master eat with tax collectors and sinners?” This question may be interpreted as an expression of their desire to know why Jesus acts in that way. Others interpret the question like a criticism of Jesus’ behaviour, because for over five hundred years, from the time of the slavery in Babylon until the time of Jesus, the Jews had observed the laws of purity. This secular observance became a strong sign of identity. At the same time it was a factor of their separation in the midst of other peoples. Thus, because of the laws on purity, they could not nor did they succeed to sit around the same table to eat with tax collectors. To eat with tax collectors meant to get contaminated, to become unclean. The precepts of legal purity were rigorously observed, in Palestine as well as in the Jewish communities of the Diaspora. At the time of Jesus, there were more than five hundred precepts to keep purity. In the years 70’s, at the time when Matthew wrote, this conflict was very actual.
• Matthew 9, 12-13: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice. Jesus hears the question of the Pharisees to the disciples and he answers with two clarifications: the first one is taken from common sense: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick”. The second one is taken from the Bible: “Go and learn the meaning of the words: Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. Through these clarifications, Jesus makes explicit and clarifies his mission among the people: “I have not come to call the upright but sinners”. Jesus denies the criticism of the Pharisees; he does not accept their arguments, because they came from a false idea of the Law of God. He himself invokes the Bible: “Mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice”. For Jesus, mercy is more important than legal purity. He refers to the prophetic tradition to say that mercy has greater value for God than all sacrifices (Ho 6, 6; Is 1, 10-17). God has profound mercy, and is moved before the failures of his people (Ho 11, 8-9).
4) Personal questions
• Today, in our society, who is
marginalized and excluded? Why? In our community, do we have
preconceptions or prejudices? Which? Which is the challenge which the words of
Jesus present to our community?
• Jesus asks the people to read and to understand the Old Testament which says: “Mercy is what pleases me and not sacrifice”. What does Jesus want to tell us with this today?
• Jesus asks the people to read and to understand the Old Testament which says: “Mercy is what pleases me and not sacrifice”. What does Jesus want to tell us with this today?
5) Concluding Prayer
Blessed are those who observe his
instructions,
Blessed are those who observe his instructions,
who seek him with all their hearts,
and, doing no evil, who walk in his ways. (Ps 119,2-3)
Blessed are those who observe his instructions,
who seek him with all their hearts,
and, doing no evil, who walk in his ways. (Ps 119,2-3)
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