In today's Gospel, Luke 5: 27-32, Jesus calls Levi to follow him. Levi is a tax collector, one who has been known for his unjust practices in taxing the people. In short, he cheated people! Following the privilege of being called to be a follower of Jesus, Levi throws a huge banquet in his home for Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees and scribes see this and complain to Jesus: "'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' Jesus said to them in reply, 'Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.'"
Levi had nothing to boast of as an apostle. Neither do you and I as Christians or as members of a religious community or as priests, deacons, missionaries, Knights of Columbus, married men and women or any privileged group of people. We have been called, not because of our holiness, but because we needed, and still need, a physician. We are sinners who need to repent of our sinfulness.
The other lesson in this Gospel is that none of us can say: God would never call me to such and such! Our weaknesses, our shortcomings, our vulnerabilities and, yes, even our sinful lives are not a deterrent in God's mind. God called an Augustine who lived a promiscuous life to follow Him. Other persons with backgrounds as mired by sin as Augustine's were also called to a life of holiness! No matter how bleak and scandalous our lives may have been or now are, God calls us to holiness, to turn away from sin and embrace goodness, justice, truth, holiness, altruistic pursuits, lives of integrity. And we do it because we are empowered by grace to do so. God equips us to accomplish that to which He calls us.
Let us with the psalmist of today's responsorial psalm, Psalm 86, pray: "Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth," as did Levi.
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