Tomorrow, we commemorate the feast day of St Thomas the Apostle is our Church’s liturgical calendar. Today, however, in our Gospel, we hear about the call of one of the other apostles: St Matthew. Today’s Gospel states: “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.” It is amazing to see Matthew’s immediate response, how he leaves his old life behind to follow Jesus as his disciple. I don’t know about you, but when I make a big decision in life, I often agonize about that decision. I think of the priesthood, of the years I spent in formation and discernment. Yet, Matthew on the surface seems so very sure of himself, getting up and following Jesus.
Perhaps we don’t know the whole story. Perhaps Matthew had been reflecting about Jesus for a long time. Perhaps some of his friends, co-workers, and family members had been talk about Jesus, about his miracles and his proclamation of God’s kingdom. Perhaps Matthew had seen Jesus interacting with the crowds, listening to him as he spoke with empathy and compassion. Perhaps Matthew pondered with astonishment the way Jesus loved the person who seemed unlovable, the way he touched the person who was deemed unclean and untouchable. Perhaps Matthew was ready to answer the call of Jesus because he had been paying attention to Jesus and his ministry, reflecting upon the things he saw in his heart for quite some time. It is good for us to have a constant prayer life, to read Sacred Scripture each day, to go on retreat and to engage in faith formation activities. In that way, when Jesus calls us, we will be ready to follow him, wherever that may be.
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