17 February, Saturday — Responding continuously to Jesus’ call

Saturday after Ash Wednesday

Is 58:9-14
Lk 5:27-32

Jesus noticed a tax collector, Levi by name, sitting at the customs house, and said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he got up and followed him.

I always wonder why and how Levi, also known as Matthew, was able to immediately follow Jesus. Perhaps he had already been disillusioned with his work, a situation we may be able to identify with to some extent, amid the stresses and excesses of modern life. But even if he was really willing to ‘leave everything behind’, how did he discern Jesus’ call as the right one to follow? (After all, on a smaller scale, whenever I get discouraged or fed up at work, I find it far easier to embark on retail therapy than to make a visit to the adoration room; though I know I should work on this, at least for Lent…)

Nonetheless it is heartening that right after Levi decides to follow Jesus, they go to Levi’s place for a meal which involves other sinners. It reminds me of the instance when Jesus declares to Zacchaeus (another tax collector!) that He will go stay at his house (Lk 19: 1-10) and makes me reflect about how our loving Lord simply wants to be with us and fellowship with us, as we are. In contrast, I find it very hard to set aside time for Him and, even when I do, usually approach Him with an ‘agenda’ of intercessory prayers or devotional activities, instead of simply sitting with Him. 

Today’s Gospel passage also reminds me of a recent homily on how God continuously calls us, where the priest wryly remarked that he still found it hard to answer God’s call if he needed to get up extra early for morning mass. The series The Chosen depicts Levi/Matthew as a character who faces suspicion and hostility from other disciples well after he joins them. Though this is a dramatization, I am certain Matthew and the others still faced their own challenges and doubts, even after they chose to follow Jesus. Yet somehow, they carried on, though maybe sometimes they didn’t want to answer God’s daily call, or didn’t follow through with it as well as they would have liked, because our Lord continued to remain close to them, to provide them opportunities to learn from their mistakes and to turn back to Him.

I’m not sure how many times I did not respond to God due to temptation, distraction, or simply lack of attention, but it is reassuring to realise He doesn’t call us on a ‘one-off basis’. If we seek the Holy Spirit’s help to respond to the many ways, unexpected and expected, which God calls us every day, perhaps we too may eventually be able to recognise and respond to Him the way Levi did.

(Today’s OXYGEN by Jaclyn Lam)

Prayer: Lord, help us to set aside time and space for you this Lent. Help us to be aware of the ways you call us.

Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for your patience with and faith in us. Thank you for loving us and for wanting to be with us just as we are, despite the way we are.