Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist: September 21 (Fr. Karl Esker, C.Ss.R.)

The Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, is marked by a reflection on the Gospel passage where Jesus calls Matthew, a tax collector, to follow him. Father Carl Esker highlights the significance of Matthew's immediate response to Jesus' invitation, emphasizing the transformative moment when Matthew, despite his status as an outcast, chooses to leave his customs post and welcome Jesus and his disciples into his home.

The narrative also addresses the reaction of the Pharisees, who question why Jesus associates with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus responds by asserting that he came to call not the righteous, but sinners, reframing the term "sinner" from one of derision to an invitation for recognition of one's shortcomings and a call for mercy. This interaction illustrates the inclusive nature of Jesus' ministry and his mission to bring good news to those marginalized by society.

Matthew's journey does not end with his calling; he becomes an apostle and later an evangelist, tasked with sharing the teachings and experiences of Jesus. Father Esker draws parallels between Matthew's transformation and the call for all individuals to recognize their own needs before God, embrace divine mercy, and actively participate in spreading the message of faith and love. Matthew's example serves as a reminder of the importance of community and the role of the Holy Spirit in building the body of Christ.

Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist September 21, 2026 Hello and welcome to the Word, bringing you the Good News of Jesus Christ every day from the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province. I am Fr. Karl Esker from the Basilica of our Lady of Perpetual Help in Brooklyn, NY. Today is the Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist. Our reading today from the holy gospel according to Matthew. As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." The gospel of the Lord. Homily In today’s gospel we hear Jesus’ call to Matthew – “Follow me,” and Matthew’s immediate response in doing so. I wonder what was going through his mind when Jesus looked at him with warmth and made the invitation – “Who me? A tax collector? How am I going to fit in with that group of fishermen whose business I have taxed for the Romans?” Still, he gets up, overcome with awe at having been chosen, and invites Jesus and his disciples into his home. Of course, he has to offer them dinner. And his friends who heard that Matthew had left his customs post, just had to come and see what this was all about. And there we see Jesus merrily breaking bread with a group of social outcasts, because that is what Matthew was, and who his circle of friends had to be. Jesus’ disciples had tagged along, but I am not sure they were all that comfortable in Matthew’s house and with his other guests. The Pharisees certainly were not amused. They stood outside and called some of the disciples over: "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" I do not know if they were trying to control Jesus through his disciples, but Jesus had a quick come-back: "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." I am sure Matthew and his friends were used to being called sinners by the Pharisees. It was a term of derision, marking them as outsiders. But on Jesus’ lips it had a different tone. A sinner was someone who was invited to recognize his or her own shortcomings and need before God and to look to God for mercy. And it was to such as these that Jesus says he was sent to bring the Good News of God’s love and mercy. Matthew accepted that invitation and followed Jesus. He also wanted his friends to meet the person who had given new meaning and purpose to his life. In that spirit of drawing closer to Jesus and spreading the word of God’s Kingdom he became an Apostle. And after Jesus’ death and resurrection, he became an Evangelist. It was not enough to just preach the word. He had to write down his and the other disciples’ experience of Jesus, their recollections of the preaching and healings of Jesus, and of course, that terrible and wonderful experience of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection. As he had gathered his friends to get to know Jesus when he was called, now he could reach whole communities. Matthew is a beautiful example of Paul’s explanation of how the Holy Spirit builds up the Body of Christ: “he gave some as Apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the Body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God.” In that same Spirit, each one of us is called to recognize our own shortcomings and need before God, to draw closer to Jesus to experience God’s love and mercy, and to sp