St Matthew

Homily
FRIDAY OF THE TWENTY-FOURTH WEEK OF THE YEAR
(FEAST OF ST. MATTHEW)
21 SEPTEMBER 2007

Matt 9: 9 - 13

[Mat 9:9] As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.
[Mat 9:10] While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
[Mat 9:11] The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
[Mat 9:12] He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
[Mat 9:13] Go and learn the meaning of the words, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."
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The conversion, the "turning toward", of any sinner is accomplished at first by God, and then by the response of the sinner. Jesus sought out Matthew, who was in the midst of his duties as tax collector. Jesus said, "Follow me." Matthew's response was immediate--"he got up and followed Him".

A veil was present between Jesus and Matthew--the veil of the humanity of Jesus, whereby He concealed His Divinity. Without that veil, the Godhead of Jesus would blaze forth, and strike terror into the heart of Matthew or of any other sinner. But with the presence of the veil, Matthew was strongly attracted by Jesus, followed Him, and was transformed from publican to apostle.

Later, as a guest at Matthew's house, Jesus dined with several "tax collectors and sinners". Concealing His Divinity, they experienced Jesus' presence in the conviviality of a shared dinner. St. Peter Chysologus wrote that Jesus' feasting was not on food, but on the return of sinners.

During Jesus' historical sojourn on our planet, He placed a veil over His Divinity so He could better attract sinners. In our time, which many spiritual writers refer to as the "middle coming", in the Most Holy Eucharist Jesus not only places a veil over His Divinity, He also veils His humanity. As He did to Matthew, He calls to each of us to dine with Him, as we read in Chapter 3 of the Book of Revelation:

[Rev 3:20] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, (then) I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me."

During the sacred banquet which is the Most Holy Eucharist, when we receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, He is not assimilated into us--rather, we are assimilated into Him. He indeed has humbled Himself by sharing in our humanity, and humbled Himself even more by His presence in the Eucharist. But His humbling does not diminish His Divinity--rather, it elevates our humanity.

In our ongoing conversion from sin, the Holy Spirit renders us spiritually sensitive to the call of our beloved--He first turns toward us, so that we then can turn toward Him--turn toward Him renewing a daily re-commitment to His Lordship in our lives.

During the time each of us remains here on earth in the wayfaring state, He is assiduous and persistent in making His love known to us, as we read in the beautiful allegory of Chapter 2 of the Song of Songs

[Song 2:8] But Hark! my lover--here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills.
[Song 2:9] My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices.
[Song 2:10] My lover speaks; he says to me, "Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!

This is the motive and this is the goal of our ongoing conversion from sin--Our Lord invites us to do here and now what we were created to do for all eternity in heaven: give Him our love in return for the love which He has given us.