Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 9: 9-13
Chosen by Mercy

When we read the Gospel, we might wonder: did Jesus really have good sense in choosing His followers? Look at Matthew—tax collector, public sinner, collaborator with Rome. Yet Jesus passes, sees him behind the customs desk, and says one word: “Follow me.” That single invitation changes everything.

Matthew does not stay to count his coins. He rises, leaves all, and opens his home—fills the table with other tax collectors, outsiders, “the worst of society.” And there, in the middle, sits Jesus, sharing bread. The religious professionals are scandalised: “Why does your Teacher eat with such people?” Jesus answers: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do… I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

Here is the heart of the Gospel: God chooses the least, the last, the lost. Not because He loves sin, but because He loves the sinner. He sees beyond the surface. He sees what can blossom when a heart is touched by mercy.

Friends, never forget where the Lord found you. Each of us has been lifted from some customs desk. If we lose that memory, we become officials—efficient perhaps, respectable maybe, but no longer apostles. A Christian who forgets mercy becomes a “wheeler dealer” of the Kingdom: planning projects, chasing status, yet unable to transmit Jesus.

So keep the memory fresh. When you feel tempted to judge another, remember your own story; remember the patience of God. And if you feel unworthy, remember Matthew: one glance of Christ was enough to start a new life.

Let us ask for the grace to walk the road of mercy—toward our brothers and sisters, and toward ourselves. In that road we find the heart of God, the greatest and most beautiful mystery.
Amen.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025