10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Hos. 6:3-6, Rom. 4:28-25, Mt. 9:9-13
June 8, 2008

       In the first reading, and in the gospel, we find the phrase, "I want deeds of love and mercy, not sacrifices!" The first person to use it was the prophet Hosea, who was explaining how God rejects worship that is separated from life. It happens in life that when someone has done something evil, he or she realizes that he or she is no more at peace with God, nor on good terms with other people. Many people start praying only when things go wrong, when they are smitten by disease or bad luck or when confronted by serious problems.

       In Hosea's time, the people of Israel had refused to listen to the prophets who were trying to stop them from engaging in fratricidal war. No war has ever produced good fruits. It is always useless carnage, especially if it is waged between members of the same nation. As soon as they realized their mistakes, the people of Israel began beseeching the Lord to put an end to the massacre, but God knows that they feel the need for conversion only when they are oppressed or are suffering the consequences of sin, and then as soon as the danger is past, they return to their evil ways. God is not interested in an emotional show of religion that lasts for a short time. He firmly rejects religious practices that are not accompanied by deeds that show love for neighbors.

      In contrast to the first reading, the passage from the letter to the Romans speaks of the fidelity of Abraham, in spite of all the trials that he had to undergo. Abraham's faith was not a matter of circumstances; he always placed his whole trust and hope in his Lord. Abraham is great because he preserves faith in the promise of God. All believers must be like him. Whatever the circumstances, they must be convinced that the Father is leading them, even though it is along paths that the human mind may consider mysterious and uncertain.

      God rejects worship that is separated from life. Jesus repeats the same doctrine: true religion leads someone to serve the poor, the marginalized, and to love and hold as brothers and sisters, and as disciples of Christ, the sinners like Matthew. Today's text has two different events: the calling of Matthew and the meal Jesus took with sinners and the subsequent discussions with the Pharisees.

     The call of Matthew is like the call of each Christian. Jesus is not inviting his disciples to learn his message first, but to follow him along the way he is going. He does not want to be admired but followed. To those who follow him, Jesus does not promise honor or glory or wealth, but only service, the gift of oneself, readiness to serve the brothers and sisters. He does not want to be served, but rather he (himself) serves. The answer to the call must be firm and long-lasting. Jesus does not accept that someone accepts to follow him but, at the same time, keeps up with his past.  In short, he does not want the disciples to do part-time service.

     The second part of today's gospel mentions the presence of Jesus at a meal, probably organized in the house of Matthew. Sharing the meal with Jesus, we find his disciples, some sinners, and tax collectors, who are Matthew's colleagues. Matthew's profession made him one of the most hated and feared. They were so corrupt that they were considered "unclean."  We can remember that, at the time of Jesus, the "unclean" were not supposed to mix with the "holy," lest they become "unclean" themselves.  The Pharisees cannot bear the sight of this "unclean" people and are scandalized.

     Jesus listens first to their scandalized remarks and then replies ironically with a proverb. It s not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. He then quotes a biblical text that is perhaps the most revolutionary of the whole gospel: "Go and learn the meaning of the words; mercy is what pleases me, not sacrifice." He ends with a phrase, which sums up his entire attitude, "I came not to call the upright but the sinners." The mistake of the Pharisees is that they imagine a God who is "holy" and wants nothing to do with sinners. They think that they will show their own holiness by isolating themselves and by staying away from impure people. But Jesus assures us that God is not like that. He invites the sinners to the banquet of his kingdom, and more so to conversion and to follow him. This is an every day calling that requires an every day answer. It involves trusting God, even in the most trying moments of life.