Regardless of race, culture, language or religion we all belong to the Human race. Yet do we of the human race recognize one another as fellow children of God our Heavenly Father? If we all say that we do, then why are there so many in world who feel isolated, alone and in some instances ostracized for being different? Are we Christian if we choose to only flock together with fellow Christians in any given setting? Do we mingle only we those we are comfortable with? What about the stranger in our midst?
Where would we be if Jesus did not seek us out? Us as in the ‘Matthews’ of the world? What hope would we have to be made whole? To be healed and transfigured so as to live fully in His love, peace and joy! But because our Lord is all merciful, patient and loving, we have been born again through Him. We have been reconciled to God our Heavenly Father and have hope of eternal life with Him. We have also been graced with different gifts, and yet we have one goal and that is to lead one another into our Heavenly inheritance. We do so by bearing with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Embracing for all time that we are One Body, One Spirit in Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.
I hear You calling me to follow You dear Jesus, mould me to be more like You. Amen
First reading
Ephesians 4:1-7,11-13
We are all to come to unity, fully mature in the knowledge of the Son of God
I, the prisoner in the Lord, implore you to lead a life worthy of your vocation. Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all.
Each one of us, however, has been given his own share of grace, given as Christ allotted it. To some, his gift was that they should be apostles; to some, prophets; to some, evangelists; to some, pastors and teachers; so that the saints together make a unity in the work of service, building up the body of Christ. In this way we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God, until we become the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.
Gospel
Matthew 9:9-13
It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick
As Jesus was walking on, he saw a man named Matthew sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.
While he was at dinner 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: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. And indeed I did not come to call the virtuous, but sinners.’
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