Follow Jesus!

It’s Friday; we’re off work, made deadlines, cleaned up all the stuff on our desks, and made plans for the weekend. If I asked you now if you had a day of the week that you dread, I think there would be quite a few of you. Our lives are somehow linked to overcoming difficulties – sometimes minor, sometimes significant.

Today’s gospel stopped us at a toll booth. At that tollbooth, the phrase that took the breath away from many was uttered. Not so much for its content as for its addressee, “Follow me!” (Mt 9:9).
The toll-house – a place so shunned by the people. Again, not because of her alone, but because of those who stood by her. Because everything around us is not about things but people, about relationships, the toll-takers service was no longer a service but a tricky business that insulted human dignity. If we imagine the loot that the inhabitants of towns and villages had to suffer, we would not be inclined to accept this state of affairs. Jesus comes to this `stressful’ place. The Gospel does not say anything more about what happened there. It is strange because the bystanders were waiting to see how Jesus would treat Matthew. They were waiting for someone to tell him the truth to his face fearlessly – as only Jesus can. And indeed. Jesus did tell him the truth about himself, “Follow me!” For in those words was the truth of Matthew’s life. He was still going somewhere else. The path he was walking was leading him into isolation. The greed, the desire for control, the hard heart… never teach a man about freedom. So it was necessary to take a step back. To live without backstabbing, lying, and slavery.

The whole of today’s Gospel is a living testimony to the conversion of the Gospel writer himself. He told it to us, just as we witnessed many modifications today. But this is very brief, perhaps so we do not miss the essential point. “Follow me!” was a moment of liberation, touching God’s mercy. And it belongs not only to St. Matthew but also to us.

This Mass, too, is a call to turn and leave behind our tollbooth. Jesus wants to be a guest in your family, work, school, and especially with you. He longs for you to begin and end your day with him. You need to make a decision and let go of the tollbooth chair. I know the fear of uncertainty is great, but there is no uncertainty with God.

As a theologian, I have had the opportunity to explore many paths to a priestly vocation. Fewer and fewer traditional paths are emerging; most seminarians have been through challenging situations in life, struggling before they said “Yes” to God. One of them told his story, “I never wanted to be a priest. I took the faith traditions coldly. I was comfortable where I was. I planned to graduate and marry well. Everything was going well, but somewhere inside, there was a strange feeling. Like I was planning and swimming against the current. The girl was intelligent, both good and religious. My faith, too, was resurrected. But it wasn’t. And though I tried to convince myself of a good life choice, I didn’t escape. The `follow me!” was stronger. I prayed a lot, several rosaries a day. After a long time, I parted peacefully with the girl and found God’s peace.” So much for the testimony of the now priest.

God’s voice is not only for priests and consecrated ones. It is heard by everyone who truly wants to hear it. In the days ahead, let us listen to the silence in which Jesus speaks. Let us become his followers in the daily pursuit of good.