Christ the Cornerstone

Jesus invites us to follow him and learn our life’s purpose

“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” says the Lord. (Mt 28:19-20)

Saturday, Sept. 21, is the feast of St. Matthew the Apostle. Matthew, also called Levi, was a tax collector. That made him an outcast, a social pariah. Using Pope Francis’s term, he was “on the periphery” of Jewish society.

And yet, Jesus reached out to Matthew/Levi with the simple words: “Follow me” (Mt 9:9). In response to this invitation, the tax collector dropped what he was doing, got up and followed him.

It is impossible to understand this story except as a miracle, an instance of divine intervention in human affairs. Something deep inside Matthew responded to the holiness of Jesus. Some profound inner longing, that he may not even have been aware of, cried out silently: “Yes, Lord. I will follow you.” By the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the soon-to-be-former tax collector acted on this spiritual influence and never looked back.

Of course, the Pharisees, who saw themselves as righteous followers of the law, objected. They said to Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” (Mt 9:11) Why, indeed? From their perspective, tax collectors represented the very worst element of Judaism.

They were agents of the Roman Empire, collaborators with the forces of occupation.

Jesus’ response could not be clearer: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do” (Mt 9:12). Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, is the face of mercy. In him, we see God’s infinite, unconditional love. He does not want to punish or condemn sinners. He wants to redeem them, to set them free from slavery to sin and death.

And so, Jesus invites sinners—all of us—to follow him. He gently, but firmly, commands us to walk in his footsteps and learn from him the meaning and purpose of our lives. “Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,” he tells us. “I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9:13).

St. Matthew is identified in our Catholic tradition as the author of the first Gospel. His personal journey took him from being a social outcast to being an ardent evangelist, whose heart was on fire with a desire to proclaim the good news of our Savior Jesus Christ. His ability to evangelize came not because of his personal gifts and talent, but because he was a sinner who had a personal encounter with Jesus that changed everything in his life.

In the first reading for the feast of St. Matthew (Eph 4:1-7, 11-13), St. Paul describes the new way of living that followers of Jesus are called to adopt:

“Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Eph 4:1-6).

The Divine Physician has reached out to every one of us and called us to follow him. He knows that we are sinners, but he knows even more deeply that we have the potential to be saints. He commands us to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19), but because we are, at best, reluctant evangelists who are too weak and awkward to proclaim him boldly, he gives us two powerful gifts that make all the difference.

First, he gives us his own body and blood in the Eucharist to nourish and sustain us in carrying out his mission. Secondly, he sends the Holy Spirit to guide us and encourage us with the power of God’s love.

For Matthew/Levi, a personal encounter with Jesus was the answer to his deepest longing. His example shows us that no matter how far we may have strayed from the path of right living, there is hope for the future. That hope is Jesus himself. If we find him, he will surely call us to follow him.

There are many ways to find and encounter Jesus, but as our experience during the National Eucharistic Congress demonstrated so powerfully, the Lord of Life walks with us in the holy Eucharist. He gives himself to us—body and blood, soul and divinity—so that we can “Go forth” to the ends of the Earth and share him with others. †