Called from the Tax Booth to the Joy of Following
Dear brothers and sisters, today’s Gospel brings us back to Christ’s penetrating gaze, which does not judge our miseries, but perceives in every heart the promise of rebirth. Matthew responds immediately. Let us too welcome the Lord’s mercy.
Lord Jesus, divine physician, you pass by our selfishness and call us by name. Look not at our past faults, but at our thirst for truth. Make us docile to your call, able to leave our securities. May our lives reflect a forgiven heart. Fountain of mercy, teach us compassion over judgment. Amen.
In Matthew 9:9-13, Jesus calls a tax collector and dines at his house. As Church Magisterium teaches, Christ came for sinners, inaugurating the logic of grace. Matthew’s conversion shows no one is beyond God’s mercy.
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