Homily: Feast of Matthew the Apostle

Homily: Feast of Matthew the Apostle (Mt. 9:9-13) “Let’s Go for a Swim”

A story is told of an old man who was in a nursing home. When he would look at himself in the mirror in his room, he would begin to hit himself with his fists. He obviously did not like what he saw so he would try to punish himself.

The man obviously looked back at past mistakes. He knew he had done many things that were sinful in his life. Perhaps he felt he was so sinful that he could never be forgiven.

How do we get rid of such guilt. We have two ways. The first way is to try to justify our sinful behavior. We acted the way we did because of extenuating circumstances. We sinned because we wanted to avoid physical, emotional or spiritual pain. What we did was not as bad as what other people have done. We have all kinds of excuses we can make. Arguments might work for a while, but many times we can’t let go of the shame we feel.

The second way we can get rid of self-hatred is to admit that what we have done is wrong and we ask the Lord for mercy. When we realize that God has two great attributes, we might find peace. God is love. God is mercy. When we allow ourselves to swim in the ocean of God’s mercy, we find serenity.

Matthew was caught in a web of sin. He was a tax collector. Tax collectors in the time of Jesus made lots of money by overcharging people for their taxes and the also made money by shortchanging the government that they were working for. It was a dishonest system, but the powers that be let the corruption go if they got their cut.

Matthew was looking in the mirror. He did not like what his life had become. He had a lot of money, but no honor. When he heard Jesus speak about God’s mercy, he found hope. When Jesus offered a higher purpose for life Matthew was all in. He was ready to take a dive into the ocean of Mercy.

Reflection Questions:

1.    Do I like what I see when I look at my life? Do I make excuses when I give in to temptation?

2.   What would happen if I admitted my failings and sought mercy? What do I have to lose?

 Dear Parishioners,

           I went to a naturalization ceremony yesterday at Augustana. It was a wonderful event. There were over one hundred people who became American citizens, and they were from about 20 countries. I was struck by the diversity of our community. The people there were so happy to become American. The ceremony emphasized getting involved in the community and even mentioned getting involved in religious groups.

          The future of the American church was reflected in that ceremony. We must learn how to knit diverse groups together into Christian communities. This is a great challenge. The future of the American church depends on our ability to do this.

          May Our Lady pray for our parish community,

          Fr. Mark