Matthew 9
Indeed, the word of the Lord is true: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do.” If my health is perfect, I won’t have to go to the doctor. However, I have not had perfect health at any given time in my life. I may have had some symptom-free days for a while. But one condition or another is always developing in the background, and sooner or later, it flares up. This is why I should watch over my health all the time and have a family physician. I hope all of you don’t need a physician ever, but I have not seen anyone who has never needed one.
Jesus presents himself as a spiritual physician for sinners in today’s gospel. Do I feel, then, this is nothing to do with me? Am I perfectly healthy in my spiritual life? Unfortunately, I am far from spiritual perfection, struggling with vices and sins every day. Fortunately, as a priest, I have daily opportunities to see Jesus at the Mass. But it is pitiful that I cannot go to my confessor as often as I wish.
In our current Catholic culture, we regard the liturgy of the Eucharist more of a celebration, especially as a community celebration and festival. But the Mass is primarily a sacrifice, and Christ offers himself to redeem us from our sins. Holy Communion offers an antidote to our sins and nourishment for protection against vices. The number one remedy for spiritual struggling is showing myself to Jesus at the Mass and receiving him in my body and soul.
Another current Catholic trend views the sacrament of penance as if it were a legal process. But the essence of this sacrament is healing – healing our broken relationship with the Lord and healing our spiritual wounds by sins. It is not wise to defend or rationalize our illness. Doctors don’t judge us because we are sick. Jesus doesn’t hear our confession to condemn or sentence. He wants to heal us. Then, we should show more of our wounds. Isn’t this what we do at the doctor’s office? Don’t we want to speak more about our symptoms and pains? But often we take the role of a defence lawyer to demonstrate why it was necessary to commit such and such sins while frequently pointing our fingers to others. Absolution of sins cannot be given to those who are not in the confessional. I am in the confession not to minimize my sentence but to maximize Jesus’ forgiveness of my sins.
As Jesus called Matthew today, he also calls me, probably because I am also a sinner. But I am a happy sinner, because Jesus says, “For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
