September 21
Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Give a Mass Offering
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
“Their message goes out through all the earth.”
Readings & Reflection
Today we celebrate the Feast of St Matthew, a tax collector and a disciple of Jesus. I always love reading this Gospel because we can focus on the call of the disciple and hear about his former way of life. It always amazes me how the disciples could just throw down everything and leave to follow someone they never met before. I am not sure I would be able to do the same without proper discernment and prayer. Jesus saw Matthew seated at the customs post and simply said, “follow me,” and Matthew got up and followed Him. How would you feel leaving your entire life behind and following Christ? When we reflect deeper on this story, we realize that being a tax collector was not a morally sound job. Often they would cheat people out of what they gave. In one way you can say there was a conversion of heart instantly on the part of Matthew and once he said yes to following Christ, he never looked back. His life would be changed forever. Are you ready for you life to be changed? Commit to following Christ each day of your life. Begin and end the day with prayer. Spend some time in adoration, either at home or before the Blessed Sacrament. You will begin to see how Christ is calling you and how your life will be changed forever.
Fr Matt Rawson
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