Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 23:1-4.19.24:1-8.62-67; Matthew 9:9-13)
Today’s gospel tells the story of the call of Matthew. The scene has been portrayed by the great sixteenth
century painter Caravaggio. His painting
features Jesus’ hand pointing at Matthew in the same position as God’s in creating
Adam in Michelangelo’s mural of the Sistine Chapel.
By mimicking the hand’s position, Caravaggio did not mean to
ridicule his famous predecessor. Far
from that, he wanted to show how Jesus calling the publican Matthew represented
a new creation. He is going to form this
businessman and likely crook into an apostle.
Matthew will no longer be making money but disciples. He will be telling the world of God’s love in
Jesus Christ.
We should see Jesus pointing his hand at us as well. He is calling us from our egocentrism into a
manifest love of God and neighbor. Self-absorption
is often a hard shell to crack, but it is worth the effort. Feeling the love of God and bringing this
love to others, we have a foretaste of our heavenly home.
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