Breaking the Word

St. Matthew, Apostle, Saturday – 21^st September 2022 — Gospel: Mt 9,9-13

Sitting with Sinners

Today we celebrate the life of St.Matthew, apostle and evangelist.  He was called, sent, and proclaimed the good news both by his actions and by his written and spoken words. After his transformation, he worked for the oneness and edification (building) of the Church. When Jesus invited him to “follow”, Matthew leaves the money table behind and follows Jesus. He went to the extent of throwing a party for Jesus and His disciples and for his former colleagues: tax collectors and public sinners.  Here, Jesus made his choice very clear, especially when he went to the home of a sinner. He reminds the ridiculing religious leaders that His mission and ministry is to bring salvation to the sinners, in their own places. And so, he went to meet other sinners in the tax collector’s house. He went out to meet them where they lived and worked. Jesus always encountered the people of the periphery in those places other than the synagogue or the temple. He accompanied those who are marginalized by sitting comfortably with sinners in the dining table.

25^th Week in Ord. Time, Tuesday – 20^th September 2022 — Gospel: Lk 8,19-21

Profound Relationship

The Lukan text that concerns the mother and brothers of Jesus is also found in Mark (3,21-22 and 3,31-35) and Matthew (12,46-50).  But Luke narrates quite differently from both. In Mk 3,33 and Mt 12,48 Jesus asks who his mother and brothers are.  However, in Luke Jesus does not ask this question, rather when he was told that his mother and brothers desire to see him, He plainly replied that his mother and brothers are those who “hear” the Word of God and “keep it”.  Luke emphasizes positively here, because for Jesus, being a part of His spiritual family is much more important than any human relationship. Mark and Matthew project that Jesus seems to reject his physical family and choose instead the crowd or his disciples. Instead, Jesus promises a share in the family of God to all those who do like Mother Mary, open themselves to hearing God’s Word and then acting upon what they hear.  This obedience is what has allowed Mary to give birth to the Son of God. The believers who belong to this family are not bound by blood but by faith and the sacraments. The spiritual family that unites through the water of Baptism is more profound than blood ties (1 Jn 3,1-2).