Liturgical Colour : Green

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, all of us received through the Sacred Scriptures the assurances and reminders of the kindness and compassion that the Lord has shown His beloved ones. God has always provided His help and kindness towards us, caring for us and helping us all to come out from the predicaments and troubles which we have constantly been facing throughout our lives. The Lord has patiently helped us and showed us all His consolation whenever we have troubles, just as He had done again and again throughout our history. Each and every one of us should not be easily disheartened or lose faith in the Lord simply because we are troubled or encountered hardships and trials.

In our first reading today, we heard the continuation of the discourse from the Book of Genesis, in which we heard of the story of personal loss to the family of Abraham and his son, Isaac, as Sarah, Abraham’s wife and Isaac’s mother, passed away and everyone mourned her passing, especially Abraham and Isaac. However, God reassured and strengthened both of them, as Abraham has always kept his faith in the Lord, and Isaac was comforted when he encountered his future wife, Rebekah, who came along from the land of Abraham’s forefathers. We were told that Isaac and Rebekah eventually became husband and wife, and Isaac was comforted of the loss of his mother.

In the Gospel passage today, we then heard of the account of the moment when after having healed a paralytic man and gained the scorn of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law for healing the man and forgiving his sins, the Lord Jesus then called Matthew the tax collector, also known as Levi, whom the Lord Himself called to be one of His disciples. This earned the Lord yet another scorn and ridicule from the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who considered the tax collectors as wicked people, traitors and betrayers who have sold off their country and people to the foreigners like the Romans, and who loved money and possessions more than they loved others and God.

However, this was truly a generalisation and misunderstanding, as the tax collectors themselves were also labouring for their survival and livelihood. As the tax collectors themselves has shown, that they were no more or less sinners than everyone else, and in fact, they were open in their mind to welcome the Lord into their midst, willingly and even excitedly listening to Him speaking to them. They were like lost sheep who sought for guidance and path towards the Lord, Who graciously and lovingly reached out to them, as the most loving Good Shepherd, Who cares for His sheep. He did not abandon any one of them to the darkness, and since those same lost sheep had come looking for Him, it was only right that He comes to find them, that He gave it all to find the lost ones.

On the other hand, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law who had accused the Lord and sneered on Him for having called upon tax collectors and spent time with them, have all failed to realise that they themselves were in need of salvation from God, healing and forgiveness for their own sins. They were also sinners just like the tax collectors, prostitutes and others who suffered from various maladies, that the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had looked down upon. Not only that, but they have also failed in their obligation and responsibilities as the guides and leaders of the people, to help guide those who have been lost from God back towards their Lord and Master. Instead, they have been focused so much on their own self-righteousness and piety, that they have forgotten their calling and also their faith in God.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all henceforth be committed anew to God, and to focus our attention once again towards Him. We have to keep in mind that we should not be judgmental and biased in our attitude towards others, or be swayed with pride and desires which can lead us down the path of sin and wickedness, and away from the salvation and grace of God. It is why each one of us must always remember that first of all, we are all sinners who have been given so great a grace from God, Who deigns to reach out to us, loving us all most wonderfully, reaching out to us even when we are still sinners and wicked in our actions. That is also why we cannot think that we are better than others, or that others are less worthy than us, or that we are superior in any way.

Instead, all of us should help one another to reach the Lord, His truth and salvation, and do our very best to follow the path that God has shown us most faithfully, so that we may truly be genuine Christians, followers and disciples of the Lord in all things, and not just in name only. We should not be like those Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who have given in to pride and desire, and failed to realise God’s love and mercy being shown in their midst. We should be humbler and more compassionate, like Christ Himself, Who has reached out to us with love, and humbled Himself so much in order to save us from our own downfall and destruction. All of us should do whatever we can so that we may help many others to find their way towards God.

May the Lord continue to bless and guide us all in our journey, and may He continue to help us to find our way in life, and be strengthened that in all the path we walked through, we will always be able to persevere amidst the many challenges and trials that we all had to face. May all of us continue to live our lives with ever more amazing faith and dedication, that we may truly be inspiration for each other, for all who witness our works and deeds in life. May God be with us always, and may He inspire us with His wisdom, love and strength, now and always. Amen.