I desire mercy, not sacrifice September 21

I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received. Ephesians 4:1

Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners. Matthew 9:13

Piety

Let us pray: God, source of our faith and baptism, look down on us, your servants. See how we are tied to the temporal gifts we have been given. They are the rock that blocks our path to your grace and friendship. Unbind us from these things that weigh us down and block you out of our lives. Help us so that we may come out and see you face to face in order to fulfill the ministry that you have for us in the Church.

Pray for us, St. Matthew, and help us to recognize and accept God’s mercy that comes to us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Be with us as we pass on that mercy to our sisters and brothers. Deliver us from evil and grant us peace today. Amen.

Study
http://www.usccb.org/nab/092106.shtml

Suppose that the Pharisees of Fairfax or Arlington were watching Jesus at his house this week. Would Jesus invite you over to his place to dine with the rest of the sinners? Would you accept the invitation like St. Matthew did?

In fact, Jesus would invite you and does indeed invite you every day to the banquet He has prepared.

Our challenge is to accept the Great Invitation like St, Matthew whose feast day we celebrate today. Jesus invited Matthew with the simple words, “Follow me.” Matthew was so moved that he left his tax collecting and followed Jesus.

Jesus does not just want us to follow him on Sunday. Piety alone is a wobbly stool. Jesus seeks out our full commitment, our mature commitment in love to all three facets of Christian life. Dr. Jesus wants to heal us. After our examination, the prescription is difficult to take: piety AND study AND action. Study and action support our piety and gives it permanence and lasting impact on our lives, the lives around us and the world just as it was called for in the Hebrew Bible:

Your piety is like a morning cloud, like the dew that early passes away. For this reason I smote them through the prophets, I slew them by the words of my mouth; For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts. (Hosea 6:4-6)

Action

There are many actions and ministries we can follow in the Church and the world. Jesus does not ask us to do everything. He just wants us to live in the manner worthy of our calling.

Look around. What work will you take up for His sake? For His sake, we even call these actions works of mercy. Perhaps your parish is seeking volunteers for various ministries. (St. Mary of Sorrows holds a Parish Awareness Weekend this Saturday and Sunday.) Consider all the needs of your parish and parishioners. Pray how you will answer the call this weekend to “Follow me” when you are – once again – invited to dinner at the Lord’s House with the rest of the sinners and tax collectors.

PS: God works in wondrous ways. I will spend part of the day giving a speech at the headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service. What a perfect way to celebrate the Feast of St. Matthew, the former tax collector! Is it any surprise how God arranges this worldly calendar? St. Matthew, pray for me…especially at 10 a.m.