Thursday, September 21, 2017
Matthew, Apostle
1st Reading:
Eph 4:1-7,11-13
Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13
As Jesus moved on, he saw a man named Matthew at his seat in the custom-house, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And Matthew got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why is it that your master eats with those sinners and tax collectors?”
When Jesus heard this he said, “Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Today’s feast of St. Matthew who used to be considered a public sinner is a good occasion to revisit God’s preferential option for sinners. Jesus said: I have come not for the self-righteous but for sinners.
This preferential option hasn’t changed. God still holds a special place for sinners in his heart. It appears, however, that there are very few takers.
One discouraging factor could be the tedious process of repentance. One cannot just make the big switch from being a sinner to being a saint. Humans are not computers that can be re-programmed anytime. We are familiar with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’ five stages of grief published in her book “On Death and Dying” (1969). The five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
Conversion seems to follow the same stages. At the stage of denial people avoid confession because they deny that they are sinners. At the stage of anger people whose health are eaten up by the psychosomatic effect of a sinful lifestyle blame God for being an irresponsible steward of creation. At the bargaining stage sinners negotiate by imposing conditions for their return to God. At the stage of depression they distance themselves from God and withdraw to their shell of godlessness to lick their spiritual wounds. Very few people cross successfully to the stage of acceptance where in humility they acknowledge their sins and return to the Lord to embrace his mercy. Very few can complete the process of repentance.
The real problem, however, seems not to be in the length of the process but in the promptness of sinners to respond to Gods’ offer of mercy. Look at Matthew! He was a big-time sinner but he made it because he was prompt in responding to the call of Jesus. If we must return to God, let’s return to God now. For while God patiently waits, time may not be on our side. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM
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