Word to the Wise
Monday, September 21, 2020 - Sept. 21 - St. Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
[Eph 4:1-7, 11-13 and Matt 9:9-13]"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." [Matthew]
Whether or not the evangelist Matthew was the apostle Matthew is something we can leave to scripture scholars and historians. The prevailing opinion is that they were not the same person. It doesn't really matter as long as we realize that we celebrate BOTH today. We celebrate the apostle (also called "Levi" in Mark and Luke) because he reminds us that Jesus calls all kinds of people to the mission of preaching the gospel. Tax collectors and "sinners" were the "nitty-gritty" of life. The scribes and Pharisees were the "hoity-toity." Guess which group knew their need for mercy more? As important as the Twelve are in the theological foundation of the church, St. Paul reminds all of us that we have received God's grace and are called to mission. That mission is to bring the sick and wounded to the "field hospital" that Pope Francis calls the church.
We celebrate the evangelist because he organized the traditions preserved by the Gospel According to Mark and other sources into the magnificent portrait of Jesus as a New Moses and distills all His teachings in the Sermon on the Mount with a straightforward call that challenges us to respond! Do we go and sit at table with Jesus? Or do we stand outside and sneer at those who do? AMEN