One day, as our Lord was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw, sitting
at the receipt of custom, Matthew the publican, whose business it was
to collect the taxes from the people for their Roman masters. Jesus said
to him, "Follow Me;" and leaving all, Matthew arose and followed Him.
Now the publicans were abhorred by the Jews as enemies of their
country, outcasts, and notorious sinners, who enriched themselves by
extortion and fraud. No Pharisee would sit with one at table. Our
Saviour alone had compassion for them. So St. Matthew made a great
feast, to which he invited Jesus and his disciples, with a number of
these publicans, who henceforth began eagerly to listen to Him. It was
then, in answer to the murmurs of the Pharisees, that He said, "They
that are in health need not the physician. I have not come to call the
just, but sinners to penance."
After the Ascension, St. Matthew
remained some years in Judæa, and there wrote his gospel, to teach his
countrymen that Jesus was their true Lord and King, foretold by the
prophets. St. Matthew afterward preached the Faith far and wide, and is
said to have finished his course in Parthia.
Obey all
inspirations of Our Lord as promptly as St. Matthew, who, at a single
word, "laid down," says St. Bridget, "the heavy burden of the world to
put on the light and sweet yoke of Christ."
Source: http://mobile.evangelizo.org/
Now the publicans were abhorred by the Jews as enemies of their country, outcasts, and notorious sinners, who enriched themselves by extortion and fraud. No Pharisee would sit with one at table. Our Saviour alone had compassion for them. So St. Matthew made a great feast, to which he invited Jesus and his disciples, with a number of these publicans, who henceforth began eagerly to listen to Him. It was then, in answer to the murmurs of the Pharisees, that He said, "They that are in health need not the physician. I have not come to call the just, but sinners to penance."
After the Ascension, St. Matthew remained some years in Judæa, and there wrote his gospel, to teach his countrymen that Jesus was their true Lord and King, foretold by the prophets. St. Matthew afterward preached the Faith far and wide, and is said to have finished his course in Parthia.
Obey all inspirations of Our Lord as promptly as St. Matthew, who, at a single word, "laid down," says St. Bridget, "the heavy burden of the world to put on the light and sweet yoke of Christ."
Source: http://mobile.evangelizo.org/
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