FIRST READING
His gifts were that some should be apostles, some evangelists,
A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Ephesians (Ephesians 4: 1-7.11-13)
Brethren: I, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the equipment of the saints, for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 19:2-3.4-5 (R.5a)
R. Their sound goes forth through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.
Day unto day conveys the message,
and night unto night imparts the knowledge. R.
No speech, no word, whose voice goes unheeded;
their sound goes forth through all the earth,
their message to the utmost bounds of the world. R.
ALLELUIA
Alleluia. We praise you, O God; we acclaim you as the Lord; the glorious band of apostles sings your praise, O Lord! Alleluia.
GOSPEL
Follow me. And he rose and followed him.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 9:9-13)
At that time: As Jesus passed on, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Today’s Reflection
Jesus was at a celebratory meal in the house of Matthew the tax collector who had just responded to his call to become one of his close associates. Present at this meal were people like Matthew, celebrating God’s forgiveness, which Jesus was making present in a new way. It is as forgiven sinners that we celebrate the Eucharistic meal. The Lord is among us at the Eucharist, just as he was among the tax collectors and sinners at the meal in today’s Gospel reading. We are sent out from the Eucharist to share with others the mercy we have received and celebrated.