Reflections on Scripture | Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist

Join Msgr. Don Fischer as he reads and delivers a short reflection on today’s gospel, followed by 3 1/2 minutes of contemplative music and a closing prayer. Msgr. Don hopes that today’s reflection on the gospel will empower you to carry the Word in your heart throughout the day.

Choose either the video or audio below.

Gospel
Luke 8:1-3

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.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
He heard this and said,
"Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

Reflection

It's hard to believe that Jesus life looked to anyone else as if it was just an ordinary human being going about doing ordinary things. But that's exactly as He was seen by those who didn't know Him, didn't know His power.

And when I look at the way in which He was cared for doing His ministry, you would think, didn't He just have some mysterious way of making food and taking care of everything? No. He had some very influential and wealthy women who took care of Him. They had been touched by His mercy, by His healing power. And Mary Magdalene, and Joanna and Susanna provided out of their own money a life for Him that was very ordinary, according to the nature of what was going on at the time. It's hard for us to believe that we two who live ordinary lives can be infused with spirit as He was. But pay close attention. God has blessed everything. He blessed the ordinary, the ordinary things we do, the ordinary prayers.

And we think they’re may be nothing special, but when they come from our heart, they come from the source of all things God, and they are powerful and anything but ordinary.

Closing Prayer

Father, let us never doubt the power of our intention. The power of our influence through the power that you have shared with us. Give us a sense of our extraordinary powers at the same time, keep us living the most ordinary of lives. You are the master of working with human beings and filling them with divinity and protecting them from becoming something other than you intend them to be. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Kyle Cross