Saturday after Ash Wednesday
Isa 58:9-14
Lk 5:27-32
Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?
2025 was a year of nostalgia for me. I had several class reunions. The first one was around Chinese New Year. My Hwa Chong junior college class of 1982 met for dinner. It was a good turnout and a great night of nostalgia.
Then in August 2025, my NUS Law school class had a 35th year reunion. More than 70% attended, with some travelling back to Singapore from America, Australia and Malaysia. I had a wonderful time meeting old friends and classmates. Indeed, some of the ladies who were 58 years old looked fabulous.
In between these two events was my secondary school reunion. There were several planned, but I only went to one. It was less enjoyable for me
In today’s gospel reading from Luke 5, Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi and said to him, “Follow me”. Subsequently, Matthew (Levi) gave a great banquet for Jesus in his house and invited a large crowd of tax collectors (despised class). Then the Pharisees and Scribes complained that Jesus was associating with the undesirables by eating and drinking with them. For me, this was clearly a case of class distinction and elitism.
As I reflected on this gospel message with my class reunion experience, I realised that I enjoyed my Hwa Chong and university reunions because we had similar career and life paths. All of us had good university education and professional careers. As such, there were many common interests to bond over. In contrast, my secondary school friends had a more diverse background and ‘less’ professional careers. This led to fewer conversation topics for me. Our upbringing and life experiences do shape our outlook. Seen from this perspective, I can understand the reaction of the Pharisees and Scribes.
Scribes spent years studying to become proficient in the Halakha (Jewish Law). They could draft contracts and facilitated commerce. Pharisees were also experts in the law and the oral Rabbinic traditions. All had social status and respect. Unfortunately, many became elitist and sought their own glory. They discriminated against those who were of a lower social class, refusing to mix with them and calling them sinners. They forgot their mission to help the common people. Jesus rebuked them for this and called them a brood of vipers that imposed heavy burdens on the common people.
Am I being elitist in 2025 by preferring to meet one group of friends over another? I prefer to think not. I am 61 years old. At this stage in my life, it’s just a choice of doing something I enjoy rather than being nice and sociable. I also don’t have a social mission like the Pharisees and Scribes!
There is a secondary school class gathering coming up for Chinese New Year 2026. Since it is a new year, perhaps it is good to do things differently. When the list is circulated, I will probably attend.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Andrew Sia)
Prayer: Jesus, help me to be more Catholic in Lent by attending more daily mass and going to confession.
Thanksgiving: Thanks be to Jesus, who brings eternal hope for all sinners.
OXYGEN 
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