Saint Matthew, Apostle
Evangelist, Feast Day
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
From a despised tax-collector, appraised no higher than a public sinner or a pagan, Matthew becomes an apostle. He is living proof that Jesus came to call sinners. And among the apostles, he is one of the two who witnessed to Christ not only with their life and work but also their writing. He is with us today to strengthen our faith. He shows how Jesus is the fulfilment of the scriptures and how our communities today, like his long ago, have to put the Good News of Jesus into practice.
Opening Prayer
Lord God of mercy,
you show us today
in your apostle and evangelist Matthew
how you put the self-righteous to shame
and call sinners to the task
of bringing your Son’s good news to the world.
Forgive us our pride and reassure us
that we can count on you and your love
because we are weak and sinful people.
Let us share in your message and life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
Unity in the Body
Therefore, I, the prisoner of Christ, invite you to embrace the calling you have received.
Be humble, kind, patient, and bear with one another in love.
Make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit among you through bonds of peace.
Let there be one body and one Spirit, just as one hope is the goal of your calling by God,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
one God, the Father of all, who is above all, and works through all, and is in all.
But to each of us, divine grace is granted in proportion to Christ’s gift.
Regarding his gifts, to some he gave to be apostles; to others, prophets, evangelists, or pastors and teachers.
So, he prepared those who belong to him for the ministry to build up the Body of Christ,
until we are all united in the same faith and knowledge of the Son of God. In this way, we will become complete persons upon reaching maturity and sharing in the fullness of Christ.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day pours out the word to day,
and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discourse
whose voice is not heard;
Through all the earth their voice resounds,
and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
the glorious company of Apostles praise you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
He Calls Matthew and Shares the Table With Sinners
As Jesus continued on his way, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his booth in the customs house, and he said to him:
“Follow me!”
And Matthew got up and followed him.
Now, it happened while Jesus was at the table at Matthew’s house that many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples.
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples:
“Why is it, that your master eats with sinners and tax collectors?”
When Jesus heard this, he said:
“Healthy people do not need a doctor, but sick people do.
Go and find out what this means: What I want is mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Prayers of the Faithful
– For the Church, a community of saints and sinners, that we, the People of God and our leaders, may not condemn those who have failed, but with God give them new chances in life, we pray:
– For people who have failed and no longer believe in themselves, in God or in the community, that they may draw new hope from our compassion and understanding, we pray:
– For priests and religious, that they may keep trusting in the Lord who called them notwithstanding their human frailty; that with Christ they may care especially for the poor and the weak, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, merciful Father,
your Son Jesus Christ was eating
with tax collectors and sinners
because they needed him.
We bring this bread and this wine before you,
that he may sit at table with us
because we too need him.
Accept his sacrifice and ours
so that sins may be forgiven
and that we may live in your love
now and for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, merciful Father,
through your Son in our midst
help us to be mild and compassionate
without condemning anyone,
for you have been gentle to us.
And do not let us boast
of our human achievements,
for we owe everything
to your grace and your call
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” Let these words change our attitude toward people, also toward ourselves, and make us mild and understanding to everyone, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Matthew 9:9-13
The Gaze That Changes Everything
Matthew sits at his tax desk, wealthy yet socially despised. Jesus passes, sees him, and says only, “Follow me.” Matthew rises. A single encounter becomes the beginning of a new life and of a Gospel that leads others to Christ.
Pope Francis called this an “exchange of glances” that changed history. Others looked at Matthew and saw a sinner. Jesus looked calmly and peacefully with eyes of mercy. His gaze freed him from his past. This gaze unlocks the heart, heals, gives hope, and calls forth a radiant future beyond imagining.
Matthew’s response is not to abandon his desk. He opens his table, gathering Jesus with tax collectors and sinners. Mercy received hospitality. The disciple who was excluded creates a place where excluded people can meet Christ.
The Pharisees ask why Jesus eats with sinners. His answer reveals the Church’s mission: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” The Christian community is not a gathering of people who have earned God’s approval. It is a house of healing where sinners discover that mercy is greater than their failures.
On this feast, Jesus passes our own desks: the places where habit, fear, shame, or comfort keep us seated. He looks at us before we dare to look at him and says, “Follow me.” May we rise, receive his healing gaze, and open our tables to others. Like Matthew, may our transformed lives become a Gospel through which excluded and wounded people encounter the mercy of Christ.