Homily for Friday, 13th Week of Ordinary Time

Homily for Friday
13th Week of Ordinary Time

July 5, 2018

Matt 9: 9-11
Provincial House, New Rochelle, N.Y.     

“I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Matt 9: 13).

If this short scene in the gospels wasn’t already well known, it certainly became so when Francis was elected Pope and highlighted it thru his episcopal motto, Miserando atque eligendo, which he swiped from St. Bede’s homily (Hom. 21) on this gospel passage:  “Vidit ergo Iesus publicanum et quia miserando atque eligendo vidit, ait illi, ‘Sequere me’”—“So Jesus saw the publican and, because he had compassion on him and chose him, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’”

Francis also cited Caravaggio’s masterful painting of the scene, in which bystanders join Jesus in pointing to youthful Matthew, who’s anything but thrilled; he hangs his head over his pile of coins on the table.  He’s hardly excited about being chosen and invited to follow Jesus.  But that matters not to Jesus, who’s chosen him for a share in his divine mercy.

In the gospel, tho, Matthew seems to have been glad to be chosen, glad to be offered an opportunity to be with Jesus; for he throws a party for his friends to come and be with Jesus as well.  Shades of Bartholomew Garelli bringing his friends to meet Don Bosco, who likewise had compassion and chose those in need of divine mercy.

We who are sinners, who know we’re not righteous by our own standing but only by virtue of Jesus’ call, we rejoice—and we come to table with Jesus at this party he offers us, rather than the other way around.  Sure, we bring a little bread and a little wine, and our sinful selves.  But he provides the feast, transforming our bread and wine—and us, as well.

Thank God that Jesus has looked upon us with his compassion and chosen us, as he did Matthew.