Sunday, June 9, 2002
10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
1st Reading: Hos 6:3-6
In
their affliction, people will say, "Let us strive to know Yahweh.
His coming is as certain as the dawn;
his judgment will burst forth like the light;
he will come to us as showers come,
like spring rain that waters the earth."
O Ephraim, what shall I do with you?
O Judah, how shall I deal with you?
This love of yours is like morning mist,
like morning dew that quickly disappears.
This is why I smote you through the prophets,
and have slain you by the words of my mouth.
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice;
it is knowledge of God, not burnt offerings.
2nd Reading: Rom 4:18-25
Brothers and sisters, Abraham believed and hoped against all expectation,
thus becoming father of many nations, as he had been told: See how many
will be your descendants. He did not doubt although his body could no
longer give life - he was about a hundred years old - and in spite of
his wife Sarah being unable to have children. He did not doubt nor did
he distrust the promise of God, and by being strong in faith, he gave
glory to God: he was convinced that He who had given the promise had power
to fulfill it.
This was taken into account for him to attain righteousness. This was
taken into account: these words of Scripture are not only for him, but
for us, too, because we believe in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from
among the dead, he who was delivered for our sins and raised to life for
us to receive true righteousness.
Gospel: Mt 9:9-13
As Jesus moved on from there, he saw a man named Matthew at his seat
in the custom-house, and he said to him, "Follow me." And Matthew
got up and followed him. Now it happened, while Jesus was at table in
Matthew's house, many tax collectors and other sinners joined Jesus and
his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples,
"Why is it that your master eats with those 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."
Commentary
Martin was my student for three years in high school. He grew up without
any religion as it was common for families in Macau not to believe in
any religion, except for the traditional ancestor veneration of the Chinese.
Yet, Martin was not ordinary - and his friends and classmates also saw
this for they had always regarded him with respect as one who had moral
authority.
Then, when he went to college, he finally decided to be baptized Catholic.
When I asked him about the reason for his decision, he told me that he
had always believed that there was God, and to show not only his belief
but his love for the one he believed in, then he had to publicly proclaim
this belief. And he saw that baptism was the way to do this.