Reflection for SATURDAY after Ash Wednesday.
By
Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Director, Social Action Movement, Don Bosco Bidar
Luke 5:27-32
Gospel Reading
Jesus comes not to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance
Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting by the customs house, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And leaving everything he got up and followed him.
In his honour Levi held a great reception in his house, and with them at table was a large gathering of tax collectors and others. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples and said, ‘Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus said to them in reply, ‘It is not those who are well who need the doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the virtuous, but sinners to repentance.’
Reflection on the readings
There is some truth in this saying: You are what you eat.
And it is not just in what we eat that will affect us.
It is also in what we see, what we hear, what we touch.
In other words, we are influenced by what is around us, and consciously or sub-consciously, we are affected by them in one way or another.
In the gospel when the Pharisees and the scribes saw Jesus eating and drinking with the tax collectors and sinners, they criticised Him for that.
To eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners is to be like them and nothing good can come about by mixing with that kind of company.
But as Jesus retorted, it is not those who are well who need a doctor but the sick, and that He came not to call the virtuous but sinners to repentance.
Jesus became man and was like us in all things except sin.
Sin and its evil effects have no power over Him; in fact Jesus came to destroy sin and evil.
When we stay in union with Jesus, we will be aware of sin and its evil effects and we will be able to resist temptation.
If we become who we are with, then let us always be with Jesus and we will become like Jesus, and lead others to repentance.
GOD BLESS YOU
Good morning. Have a nice day.