Sep 21 – Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
St. Matthew was the son of Alphaeus, and he lived at Capernaum on Lake Genesareth. He was a Roman tax collector, a position equated with collaboration with the enemy by those from whom he collected taxes. Jesus’ contemporaries were surprised to see the Christ with a traitor, but Jesus explained that he had come “not to call the just, but sinners”.
Matthew’s Gospel is given pride of place in the canon of the New Testament, and was written to convince Jewish readers that their anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus. He preached among the Jews for 15 years; his audiences may have included the Jewish enclave in Ethiopia, and places in the East.
- Patron Saint Index
Eph 4:1-7,11-13
Mt 9:9-13
“Follow me.”
Brothers and sisters, the two words I have chosen to reflect on have been the most profound words I have internalised since my encounter with Christ in 2011. I can say that until today, I sometimes still struggle to understand what it truly means to follow Him.
Those of us in the corporate world would be able to relate to the terms ‘change of management’ or ‘organisational restructuring’. They are constantly in vogue, especially in the recent few years. And inevitably, whenever there is a change of the ‘head honcho’, it is the others down below – i.e. the ‘one downs’ and ‘two downs’ – who will bear the brunt. Because they are seen/perceived to have been the outgoing leader’s ‘people’. It is human nature for those who have been loyal to a person to ‘follow him/her’ – most of the time, out the door.
And sadly, that is how most of the world works.
But what is the alternative? Would you follow someone who tells you to offer the other cheek when someone slaps you on one? What about loving your enemies as much as you love your loved ones? And…get this…forgiving those who hurt you or bring calumny upon you? Someone who assures you that following him means shouldering burdens you would never imagine.
Therein lies the conundrum for most of us. If life itself is already so complicated and filled with all manner of politics (sometimes, not just at work!), why would we drop everything that we know and set foot into ‘murky waters’, where there is no guarantee of a good life? At least in the secular world, we get a salary (and for some, even the odd bonus) for following a ‘guru’ – be it in tech, marketing, healthcare, construction, you name it….
Wouldn’t it be great if we could get a group of fishermen, a tax collector, a legal scholar, a zealot and a treasurer round a table and pick their brains? What I would give to hear first-hand what possessed them to follow a carpenter from Nazareth.
Because follow Him they did. And today, more than two millenia later, the reasons might prove just as compelling. Granted, for every miracle, there is some corresponding tragedy; for every healing we hear about or witness, there is an untimely death/suicide. And yes, the naysayers still go on about if there was truly a God, why would He allow so much suffering in the world (ongoing wars, natural disasters, mass shootings)? And not to forget, the OGs suffered gruesome deaths themselves – crucifixion (on a saltire, even upside down), being flayed, sawn in half, stoned and beheaded.
But perhaps we have been looking at things from the wrong lens. Inside of asking ‘Why follow Him?’, maybe the question is ‘Why not?’ Instead of doubting our faith, how about doubting our doubts? Because how does one explain what happens at mass each day…when the priest consecrates the host and the wine and they become the body and blood of Christ? How does one explain the many miracles that happen in our lives – the people we ‘bump into’, the inheritance that comes at a dire time of need, the old friend who unexpectedly reaches out to offer assistance, the job offer we never expected, the new life we create as a young parent, the reconciliation between a parent and child…
Even the great saint, Thomas Aquinas, abandoned his Summa Theologica, declaring “All that I have written seems like straw to me”. Indeed, what human mind who could ever comprehend the vastness of God’s love and mercy, or His greatness? And for those who try to understand in order to believe, perhaps it is best to first believe, and then try to understand. And perhaps, brothers and sisters, that is what is needed, in order to follow Him. It may well be that we should just take those first steps into the murky waters…and then let Him show us the way to the glorious end.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Desmond Soon)
Prayer: My dear beloved Abba Father, you who never fail to exceed in your awesome love for us. May you continue to flood our hearts with your unconditional love and lead, guide and nourish us along our faith journeys.
Thanksgiving: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of your son, Jesus – our Saviour, Redeemer, Friend, Servant Leader, Good Shepherd – the Way, the Truth and the Life.
OXYGEN 
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