How can someone enter a church that welcomes sinners, then leave because they were hurt by the very same people who welcomed them? The simple answer is: Because the church is a messy place filled with sinners!

I gave this message at The Feast in Carmona. God loves sinners and that’s what our ministry is all about—welcoming the unchurched. But it was a difficult message to deliver because there were those who didn’t feel the welcome of Jesus and left the community. These people felt that loving sinners excluded them because they were different. That they didn’t deserve to be loved because they were slower, weaker, or made wrong decisions. That they didn’t deserve to be loved because they can’t keep up with God’s standards. 

The Church is messy because it’s filled with messy people. But Jesus’ acceptance does not tolerate our sin. So we are called to cast off our wrongdoing and also avoid what causes us to hurt others. Dreus Cosio (andreus.cosio@gmail.com)

reflect

God loves the sinner, not the sin. We should also learn to love the sinner in us—remaining kind and loving to ourselves—so we can also love others, especially those different from us.

Dear Lord, remove the blindness from my eyes. Teach me how to genuinely and sincerely love like You.

St. Jaime Hilario Barbel, pray for us.

The First Reading is a beautiful and powerful description of the Word of God. Let us meditate on it so we can understand the power and grace of the Scriptures at work in our lives. Let us open our hearts to God’s Word anew and afresh today, and let it empower and encourage us to deepen our commitment as disciples of Jesus.

¹² The word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. ¹³ No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account. ¹⁴ Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. ¹⁶ So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help. 

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 15

R: Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.

⁸ The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul; The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. (R) ⁹ The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The command of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eye. (R) ¹⁰ The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; The ordinances of the Lord are true, all of them just. (R) ¹⁵ Let the words of my mouth and the thought of my heart find favor before you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. (R) 

Gospel | Mark 2:13-17

The Lord’s call for men and women to assist in the proclamation of the Gospel never ends. Jesus knows He needs others to help Him proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This is still true today. We all have a role to play in Jesus’ mission. We need to discover our role in the great drama that is life, and we need to play our role well. Jesus has done His part and continues to walk with all who are called to continue His work. 

Gospel Acclamation

The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor, and to proclaim liberty to captives.

¹³ Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. ¹⁴ As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus. ¹⁵ While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

Reflect:

What ails your heart, mind, and soul? Do you believe that Jesus calls you to follow Him despite these? How will you respond to His call?

Read the Bible in one year! Read MATTHEW 25 - 28 today.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reached out to the corrupt Levi. He went to the houses of known public sinners and dined with them. Seeing this, the perpetually “clean” Pharisees gave Jesus the mock title, “a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” 

Pope Francis has always said that he does not want a Church that is “clean”: “I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”

That is Jesus’ ministry in a nutshell. He was bruised, hurting, and dirty because He had been out in the streets reaching out to those in the peripheries of society. On the other hand, the religious leaders called “the Pharisees” are the immaculately clean ones because they clung to their own security.

Several years ago, a local detergent brand conducted a social experiment. On the first day of school, they asked the old janitor to intentionally slip on a pile of mud while carrying a heavy load. Children wearing their immaculate white uniforms were observed of their reaction. Some children passed by, while some immediately ran to help the old man and stained themselves all over.

The “dirty” children were then asked to go to their mothers waiting to fetch them at the school gate. The reaction of the mothers were unanimous: dismay, disgust, and anger. But their reprimands soon turned to embarrassed pride for their kids as a video wall revealed to them what really happened moments before. 

When you reach out, your hands will be soiled. When you love, your heart will be broken. When you love the unlovable, you can be dirtied. As the kids in that school grew dirtier, their hearts shone immaculately white. No wonder children are always given as models for the Kingdom of heaven. Fr. Joel Jason

reflection question

When you see a “dirty” person literally and figuratively, how do you want to respond? 

We are all dirty, Jesus, and Your love washed us clean. Help me, little by little, to do the same. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _____________________________________