Sinners, not Righteous: Homily for Thursday, September 21, 2023

Homily given at Christian Brothers College High School, Town and Country, Missouri. Readings for Today. Listen to our other homilies. Sinners, not Righteous Transcript This should be a hopeful gospel for all of us. Saint Matthew, the Apostle, was a tax collector. That put him in a very unpopular group, not just because of taxes, but more importantly because of his dishonesty. Tax collectors were well known to take more than the prescribed amount of tax.  And it's not surprising that at a dinner at his house, Matthew would invite those he knew, namely tax collectors and sinners. It's a reminder to us that the big desire of our Lord Jesus Christ, the most important desire, is that all people be saved. That's what Jesus wants.  He doesn't want almost everyone to be saved, or only this group to be saved, or only that group to be saved. He wants all people to be saved. And He calls all people to holiness. And of course, that includes you and me.  One of the things that I think is important is to think in our own lives, how would we respond if the Lord Jesus looked at us and said, "Follow me"? Would we in fact be eager, like the Apostle Matthew, who got up from his tax post and and presumably left his livelihood and everything he knew to follow the Lord Jesus? Or might we be more like Pharisees who had all kinds of reasons to criticize Jesus for the company he kept?  Let us ask the Lord today to help us to become generous so that when He calls to us "follow And for me, we may do so with enthusiasm.