January 18, 2013. Homily, Saturday, January 19, 2013.

Mark 2:13-17

Jesus went out along the sea.  All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed Jesus.  While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who werePharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus heard this and said to them, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

The Gospel of the Lord.


As Jesus went about preaching and healing, he called people to follow him.  All he said to Levi, now known as Matthew the evangelist, was "Follow me." and Matthew got up from his customs post, left his things behind and went and followed Jesus.  Jesus wants us to call people to follow him, to become his disciples, to enjoy his salvation.

Who are suitable prospects?  Are they those religiously inclined?  This Gospel asks us to think differently, to think outside of the box, asks that we not limit the ones we call.

Every time I read the Gospel, I finish and say to myself, as all priests and deacons do, "By the reading of this Gospel my my sins be washed away."  We each recognize ourselves to be sinners in the eyes of the Lord.

Ask why are each of us here for this Mass?  It is not a Sunday or a holy day of obligation. We do not have to be here.  Why then? We are here because internally, in our soul, with our spirit, we need to be here.  Each of us for our unique individual reasons need to be here, and we are here.

There was an American priest who became a bishop and then a cardinal. Each cardinal receives Church in Rome for which he is to act as a pastor.  This priest was visiting his church and was accosted by a beggar.  He recognized the beggar as a class-mate at the North American College in Rome and as a fellow priest. The cardinal had supper that evening with the Pope and told His Eminence about his contact with his class-mate. The Pope asked that he return to the Church and ask his class mate to join him for dinner with the Pope. The cardinal went back, extended the invitation and the three had dinner. At the dinner, the Pope asked the priest to hear his confession. The priest agreed but only if the Pope would first hear his own confession. The Pope heard the failed priest's confession and then the priest heard the confession of the Pope. The Pope then assigned the priest to serve as a curate in the Church where he had been a beggar.

Jesus did not come to call the righteous but sinners.  And we are all sinners.