Reading of The Day
A reading from the Book of the prophet Amos
Am 8:4-6, 9-12
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy
and destroy the poor of the land!
“When will the new moon be over,” you ask,
“that we may sell our grain,
and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat?”
We will diminish the containers for measuring,
add to the weights,
and fix our scales for cheating!
We will buy the lowly man for silver,
and the poor man for a pair of sandals;
even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!”
On that day, says the Lord GOD,
I will make the sun set at midday
and cover the earth with darkness in broad daylight.
I will turn your feasts into mourning
and all your songs into lamentations.
I will cover the loins of all with sackcloth
and make every head bald.
I will make them mourn as for an only son,
and bring their day to a bitter end.
Yes, days are coming, says the Lord GOD,
when I will send famine upon the land:
Not a famine of bread, or thirst for water,
but for hearing the word of the LORD.
Then shall they wander from sea to sea
and rove from the north to the east
In search of the word of the LORD,
but they shall not find it.
Gospel of The Day
From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 9:9-13
As Jesus passed by,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed him.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners came
and sat with Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
01/07/2022
Friday 13th of Week in Ordinary Time
(Mt 9, 9-13)
God' Word for Everyone
Dear People of God,
Today's word of God speaks of Jesus calling Matthew to follow him. Matthew is a sinful tax collector sitting the tax collector’s booth, and Jesus Christ called him: “Follow me”; and God's Word also speaks of Jesus Christ coming to earth to save sinners, the sick, and the injured who are in need of God's mercy and healing.
The Word of God is a powerful word, has the power to attract people, make people open their hearts to receive the Word of God, to accept the vocation and mission that God gives to human being. God always loves everyone, He chooses to call and give each person a different vocation. Everyone is given a special place by God the Father in His heart. God loves all of His children. He calls everyone, sinners, lost sheep to return to God. He does not distinguish between rich and poor, good and bad, no distinction between high or low vocation and mission. He calls and places each person in a special place in God's work, like the image of Saint Matthew. Though before the world he was a sinner, full of greed, and despised; but for God, he loves, chooses to call and places Matthew in an important position in His divine work.
God lets everyone know: He always loves and wants to bestow all His blessings on everyone all over the world without distinguishing between religion, rich and poor, sinful or righteous. God’s Love is immense, immeasuable and always pouring out to give to everyone, especially sinners. In this world, no one is righteous before God.
Therefore, through the Word of God today, God invites people all over the world: to repent of their sins and return to God, to live according to His call. Let’s open our mind, open our soul, open our heart to receive God's call, which is: "Follow me". Follow God and He will give us all the blessings in the next life. The purpose of man's life on this earth is to attain the eternal Kingdom of Heaven in the future. God invites everyone to open their hearts and follow Him.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
