{"id":6137,"date":"2023-06-08T14:38:04","date_gmt":"2023-06-08T12:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/predication.net\/?p=6137"},"modified":"2023-06-08T14:38:06","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T12:38:06","slug":"tent-sunday-a-of-the-year-mt-99-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/predication.net\/?p=6137","title":{"rendered":"Tent Sunday A of the Year Mt 9,9-13"},"content":{"rendered":"

The evangelist, one of the Twelve, mentions in today’s Gospel passage how Jesus said to him: “Follow me” (Mt 9:9)!<\/span>
\nA question is printed. What do the words: Follow me!?<\/span>
\nGod created man in the image and likeness of God, which is present in every human being.\u00a0God endowed man with an immortal soul.\u00a0Man is the only creature on earth that God wanted for himself.\u00a0From conception, man is destined for eternal bliss.\u00a0God himself determined the goal of man’s life on earth.\u00a0With reason, he can understand the order established by the Creator, and with his will, he can direct himself to true good. Man finds his perfection in seeking and loving truth and goodness.\u00a0Only man recognizes God’s voice with his reason, which urges him to do good and protect himself from evil.\u00a0Every person is obliged to follow this law, which echoes in the conscience and is fulfilled in the love of God and neighbor. A moral life testifies to the dignity of the human person.<\/span>
\nAt the beginning of history, the man abused his freedom. He succumbed to the temptation of the Evil One and committed evil.\u00a0The desire for good remains in man, but man’s nature is wounded by original sin – misleads and seduction. A dramatic struggle between good and evil occurs both in the individual and in the collective.<\/span>
\nJesus earned us a new life in the Holy Spirit through his suffering.\u00a0His grace restores what sin has corrupted in us.\u00a0Jesus called us brothers and sisters.\u00a0Jesus wants us, united with him, to achieve the perfection of love, that is, holiness.\u00a0He gives us an undeserved gift when he challenges us again and again, addresses us, and invites us: “Follow me!” (KKC 1700 – 1709).<\/span>
\nEven with today’s words of the Lord Jesus, “Come follow me!”, we are shown love and trust, we receive hope, and we are offered the friendship of God. God himself shows us what is important and necessary for our salvation.\u00a0Words Follow Me! they are truly a gift to each of us.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew tells about himself when Jesus addressed him as a tax collector: Follow me!\u00a0He had his occupation as a publican, for which he was hated and considered a sinner, especially by the leaders of the nation, because he collaborated with the Romans, from whom he secured the execution of this mission.\u00a0He did not think that he could be a disciple of Jesus.\u00a0And yet, one appeal – and a change in the whole way of life lived until then.\u00a0He makes a strange decision.\u00a0It confuses the certainty of life with uncertainty.\u00a0Convenience for emergencies.\u00a0Wealth for poverty.\u00a0Matthew was not crazy when he left everything that meant something to him to address Jesus.\u00a0He did not realize that he was sick and that Jesus was calling him to make him healthy and through him to heal others.\u00a0Matthew did not know then that he would lay down his life for Jesus.\u00a0He did not know that what he wrote from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, until the end of time, many – who believe in Christ – will read with hope,\u00a0that his words will become a light for others in the darkness and uncertainty of life.\u00a0Today we know that Matthew did not disappoint Jesus.\u00a0He matured into a disciple in his school.\u00a0Today, he is our role model and example of how to respond to the same invitation of Jesus: Follow me!<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus speaks the same to us.\u00a0We can not hear, not want to hear, reject, not accept, not adopt the invitation.\u00a0For fear?\u00a0For the joys of this world?\u00a0For our other life plans?\u00a0Yes!\u00a0Jesus invites us and leaves everyone free to decide.\u00a0He leaves us reason, free will, and time.\u00a0Something has to mature, something else cannot be delayed.\u00a0Jesus often invites those who feel unprepared, unworthy, taken aback, arguing that they are unworthy, uneducated… He asks some to renounce permitted and pleasant things, those are the ones to the spiritual state.\u00a0He asks others to remain in the world in a married or single state but to live in such a way as not to close the gate of eternal life. Everyone is addressed.\u00a0No one is excluded from being invited and addressed.\u00a0We all have our time, our irreplaceable place.\u00a0We live only once.\u00a0We are addressed in that spirit to fulfill the by which we each deserve an eternal reward.\u00a0Even those who have never heard of God can be saved.\u00a0When they lived their lives according to their best consciousness and conscience in doing good, truth, love, and justice. We received the teachings of Christ from childhood or in later years.\u00a0Each one of us is given a proper role by God, who is no respecter of persons, but everyone who does justice is pleasing to him.<\/span>
\nVocation is connected with duties, and tasks that are determined directly by God in God’s commands and through the Church. Church orders are binding for us.\u00a0Appropriate to age, position, and mission, our calling requires engagement in prayer, church life, fasting, acts of Christian love, and liturgy. God does not demand sacrifices from a man that would destroy human dignity or be beyond man’s strength. The mystery of the calling to serve God and people is one of the most fascinating mysteries. It is a mystery and incomprehensible criteria how God chooses or calls people to his vineyard.\u00a0Mat\u00fa\u0161 expresses it with the words: “The healthy do not need a doctor, but the sick… I want mercy, not sacrifice.\u00a0I did not come to call the righteous, but “sinners” (Mt 9:12-13).\u00a0When Peter becomes aware of the call, he pleads: “Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8).\u00a0When God calls, come follow me! most of the time, people are not aware of what they are called to do.\u00a0It is mostly a dramatic event in his life.\u00a0Especially when God speaks to young people, they need to have someone next to them who will guide them, shape them, explain them, teach them… If someone thinks of a career, a favorable social position, or the power of being well, they will recognize the reality very quickly. However, whoever answers positively with a pure heart, honestly, without speculating, giving conditions, will not be disappointed.\u00a0Even later, the answer must not turn into mockery or contempt… because it can become part of the statement: “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt 22, 14). The call is not yet at the end but at the beginning. Ahead of him is a road he knows very little about.\u00a0Vocation is a gift that makes the answer easier for him, for benefit, but also as a sign for people on earth and saints in heaven.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ars parish priest St. John Vianney felt his profession was a heavy burden and a great responsibility. He ran away from Ars several times, out of fear of his wretchedness.\u00a0And one parishioner said about him: “I think we are no better than other people in other parishes, but we are ashamed to sin when we see our holy priest.” We know when God is calling us – Come to me<\/span><\/p>\n

!\u00a0\u2013 that love is shown to us.\u00a0Love should only be answered with love.\u00a0To despise a gift invites punishment.\u00a0It is up to each of us to give the answer that will guarantee us eternal life in God’s kingdom.<\/span>
\n“Come to me!” – says God also through the mouth of the priest.\u00a0And that is even today a reminder, a call, but also a request from God to each of us.<\/span><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The evangelist, one of the Twelve, mentions in today’s Gospel passage how Jesus said to him: “Follow me” (Mt 9:9)! A question is printed. What do the words: Follow me!? God created man in the image and likeness of God, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"yoast_head":"\nTent Sunday A of the Year Mt 9,9-13 - predication.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/predication.net\/?p=6137\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tent Sunday A of the Year Mt 9,9-13 - predication.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The evangelist, one of the Twelve, mentions in today’s Gospel passage how Jesus said to him: “Follow me” (Mt 9:9)! 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