Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Re-Creating Encounter
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Jesus came to call sinners. It is they that need him, not so much the just or the righteous. It is the sinners who need healing. We are among them, and so we need healing. The Pharisees considered themselves just, but there was little mercy in them; their hearts were dried up. It is mercy that Jesus wants, not sacrifices. Jesus comes to encounter Levi-Matthew. Just a call from Jesus and Matthew leaves everything behind: his desk, his past. He is a new man, created anew by Christ. He lives now for the future. His converted heart will turn to others too, as he becomes an apostle. In this Eucharist, Jesus comes to call us and to change us; he sits at the table with us, as he did with Levi-Matthew.
Opening Prayer
Lord, our God, merciful Father,
When you call us to repentance,
You want us to turn to people
and to build up peace and justice among us all.
According to your promise,
let us become, with your strength,
lights for those in darkness,
water for those who thirst,
rebuilders of hope and happiness for all.
May we thus become living signs
of your love and loyalty,
For you are our God forever.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (11ab) Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Incline your ear, O LORD; answer me,
for I am afflicted and poor.
Keep my life, for I am devoted to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for to you I call all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in kindness to all who call upon you.
Hearken, O LORD, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my pleading.
R. Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.
Alleluia Verse
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Seek good and not evil so that you may live,
and the Lord will be with you.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Prayers of the Faithful
– That Christians may experience the joy of receiving forgiveness from God and from forgiving one another, we pray:
– That people entangled in sin and who don’t know how to get out, may encounter Jesus, who came as a healer of hearts, we pray:
– That we may all learn that it is a part of our conversion to turn to people and to bring them justice and love, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Merciful God,
you have sent your Son among us
to eat and drink with us sinners.
May Jesus also look at us intently
and call us to genuine repentance,
and may we be so humble as to recognise
that we are in need of conversion.
Give us the strength to follow Jesus,
Who is our Lord forever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord God, merciful Father,
your Son, Jesus Christ, has touched our hearts
and we are willing to follow him.
But we are weak and frail,
and so we pray you:
May the bread of life and the wine of strength,
which we have taken at the table of your Son,
sustain us on the road to you,
our God forever.
Blessing
Through Jesus, God creates people anew by forgiving them. He makes an apostle out of a typical sinner, Matthew, the tax collector. As forgiven people, we help God to restore people by our goodness, by helping others. May Almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Luke 5:27-32
To be on the side of Jesus
During the Jubilee year of mercy in 2016, Pope Francis launched a book titled ‘The Name of God is Mercy’. The book was the result of an interview with Pope Francis by an Italian journalist. In the interview, the Pope talked about the logic of God, which is nothing but a logic of love that scandalised the pharisees and the teachers of the Law.
God’s logic of love is reflected in everything that Jesus says and does. Jesus reveals a God who doesn’t wait for us to be perfect or blameless before engaging with and loving us. Jesus engaged with people as they were, in all their frailty and weakness. That is how the Lord engages with each one of us.
Jesus scandalised the doctors of the Law, the scribes and the Pharisees by sharing table with people who were considered sinners by society. Sharing the table or having a meal together meant accepting one another as a member of the family or friends. We share meals with people close to us – our family or friends. In sharing the table with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus presents the face of God, who wants to be in communion with us just as we are. That experience of God’s loving communion with us will empower us to become the person God wants us to be and live the life God calls us to.
As we embark on the Lent season, the Church invites us to examine our lives to see how merciful and empathic we are in the Church community, society, and our families. We tend to label our brothers and sisters as good-for-nothing, outcasts and sinners and exclude them from our circles. Lenten fasting encourages us to fast from spreading rumours that label people as horrible, avoid gossiping, and cultivate empathy, mercy, and love.
Remember, the people who regarded themselves as the insiders - chosen people of God – the Pharisees and teachers of the Law – had become the outsiders, while the so-called outcasts – the sinners and tax collectors – became the insiders who had the privilege to dine with Jesus. On which side are we?
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Luke 5: 27- 32
Follow Me
Today, Jesus extends a personal invitation: “Follow me.” These two words changed the life of Matthew, a tax collector, and they continue to call each of us today. But what does it truly mean to follow Christ?
First, we must go out. Too often, we remain comfortable in our own circles, only engaging with those who already believe. But Jesus calls us to step beyond our comfort zones to seek out those who are lost, hurting, or distant from the faith. There are many who long for God’s love but feel unworthy or unwelcome. This Lent, let us be missionary disciples, bringing Christ to others rather than waiting for them to come to us.
Second, we must see. Jesus teaches us not just to look at people but to truly see them with love and compassion. The poor, the broken, the rejected—these are our brothers and sisters. Too often, we ignore them or pass judgment. But Christ calls us to remember: we are all forgiven sinners, chosen by God for love. When we recognise this, we become more merciful toward others.
Finally, we must follow. Jesus did not choose Matthew for his perfection but for his willingness to respond. Like Matthew, we are all sinners before we are followers. Yet, God calls us anyway, despite our flaws, despite our past. He sees beyond our failures and invites us into a new life of grace.
Let us respond with gratitude and courage. Let us follow Christ humbly, remembering that we, too, are in constant need of His mercy. May we never judge but always welcome, love, and accompany others on the journey to Christ. Amen.