On the Feast of St. Matthew, Pope Francis reflected on Jesus' words to the disciples when the Doctors of the Law were scandalized by Jesus' actions.
POPE FRANCIS
''Why does your teacher eat with these people? He will become unclean. Eating with someone who is unclean contaminates you.' But, Jesus heard this and said, 'Go and learn the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ God's mercy seeks everyone, forgives everyone. The only thing He asks of you is to say,‘Yes, help me.'”
He continued, saying that when an apostle forgets his origins are from the Kingdom of God and starts off on a career path, he can distance himself from the Lord. The pope said that's why, it is important to preserve the memory of where one comes from.
EXTRACTS OF PAPAL HOMILY
(Source: Vatican News)
“One may think that Jesus lacked the good sense to choose the right people as his followers” Francis said, but then he remarked on how in the life of the Church, so many Christians, so many saints have been chosen by Jesus from the ‘lowest ranks’.
When an apostle forgets his origins and starts off on a career path, he distances himself from the Lord and become an ‘official’. An official who perhaps does a good job, but he is not an apostle. He is incapable of ‘transmitting’ Jesus; he is someone who organizes pastoral projects and plans and many other things; he is what he called an “affarista” - a “wheeler-dealer” - of the Kingdom of God because he has forgotten from where he was chosen.
That’s why, it is important to preserve the memory of our origins, “this memory must accompany the life of the apostle and of every Christian. When the Lord chooses it is for something great. To be a Christian is a great thing, a beautiful thing.
The doctors of the Law, Francis continued, were scandalized. They called the disciples and said: 'Why does your teacher eat with these people? Eating with some who is unclean contaminates you”. But, Jesus heard this and said “Go and learn the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’.
God's mercy seeks everyone, forgives everyone. The only thing he asks of you is to say: ‘Yes, help me’. That’s all. The Lord's mercy is a mystery; God’s heart is the greatest and most beautiful mystery. If you want to make your way to God’s heart, take the road of mercy, and allow yourself be treated with mercy”.
