sept 17 2006

 

lakefront bloom this week

 

The Goodness of Creation...photo taken this week

 

sept 21 2006

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist
Eph 4:1-7, 11-13 Brothers and sisters: I, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one Body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all,who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. And he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faithand knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

Ps 19:2-3, 4-5R. (5) Their message goes out through all the earth.
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day,and night to night imparts knowledge.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.
Not a word nor a discoursewhose voice is not heard;Through all the earth their voice resounds,and to the ends of the world, their message.
R. Their message goes out through all the earth.

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.”

Matthew was considered one of the sinners as a tax collector. From what I have heard and read about the culture of the time tax collectors were unscupulous people considered to be on a lower level of society. Jesus was questioned for eating with such a problem person thought to be very lowly in the society. Why would he eat in the company of those who were not the upright and righteous of the time? Jesus says that the sinners are those he has come to call those who are well do not need a physician.

This monday I was listening to a woman speak about her various inner city ministries with the poor and sick and I felt a pang immediately. I miss the times that I did things in inner city Newark and Paterson. The shelters, the clinics, tutoring and educating the poor these were all times that they gave me tremendous gifts. The people that are the disenfranchised of our society have great needs and those who work with them are rewarded generously by the Lord.

Another aspect of faith that I had discussed yesterday several times with different people is faith as connectedness and in supporting each other's faith and health we form and support connections.