Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

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.”

Our gospel for today is something that many self-righteous individuals especially among the religious and church people cannot seem to accept. The fact that Jesus dined and ate with sinners. Yes, the Lord has always been willing to "march into hell with a heavenly cause" (so goes the song). But of course, this is not for the weak...this is not for the faint-hearted because only those who are sent by heaven can carry the heavenly cause into hell without being overwhelmed by the minions of demons, devils and evil powers in Gehenna .

Yes this is the person who possesses God's spirit in a superlative degree, a person with a heart so much in love with God and with the zeal of Elijah, the prophet. Indeed, like Elijah who put to rout all the false prophets of Baal and proclaim with a thunderous shout, "The Lord is God."

O God we acknowledge Your Presence here with us, in the midst of godlessness and chaos brought about by moral degradation, environmental abuse, human rights violations and oppression of the poor. For we believe that where sin abounds, grace abounds more and more efficaciously....yes, Lord You alone are victorious and nothing can stand against You. Let Your Kingdom come. This we ask through Christ our Lord and the intercession of the Immaculate Mother of God. Amen