Follow Me

Homily for Saturday in the 1st Week of Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel reading we hear of the calling of Levi. I am sure that he was stunned by Jesus’ choice. St. Mark does not include any kind of interchange between the two men. Perhaps Levi is actually left speechless.  All St. Mark tells us is that he got up and followed Jesus.

Though we are not sitting at a customs post, we find ourselves sitting in an assembly of sinners. Just as Jesus called Levi, he is also calling us. This is the paradox of this particular story. Jesus’ call is both personal and universal at the same time. The invitation to follow Jesus is made personally to each one of us. While that invitation is universal, it is still done individually. Jesus calls everyone, but he does so to each of us uniquely. We are called as persons, not as a group.

A few moments from now, we will all be declaring that we are not worthy that Jesus should enter under our roof. It goes without saying; we are not worthy. However, God’s mercy does not depend on our worthiness; his grace and his mercy flow from his love for us. He has already said the Word that we might be healed – and that Word came in the form of Jesus Christ. So as did Levi, let us follow Jesus.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator