Theme: Let us prepare ourselves well so that our worship may be worthy before the Lord.
Scripture: Is. 58: 9-14; Ps. 85:1-6; Lk. 5:27-32
The season of Lent is an invitation to live life with God. Prophet Isaiah tells his people that when we worship God with true heart, mind and body then we receive blessings from God. The people of Israel had beautiful means of worship given to them by their ancestors; such as fasting, keeping Sabbath, worshipping God in the temple. Unfortunately, these spiritual observances became empty rituals because the people had made these spiritual means to serve their own purpose. If they had to worship God with sincere heart, then they would have received blessings from God. The prophet mentions blessings for those who make a true worship of God such as they will have enlightened life. God will guide them continuously. They will have satisfied and fruitful life. Their lives will be sustained and they will be productive.
We find a person in the Gospel, who truly worshipped God with sincere heart found all the blessings. He was Levi. He was the tax collector, disowned by the Jewish community because of his association with the Romans and his involvement in the collection of taxes. The tax collectors were considered to be socially-spiritually outcast. They were considered to be sinners. Jesus called Levi in spite of his background with the simple words, “Follow me”. It was Jesus who had intently looked at Levi. The merciful sight of Jesus made Levi got up and leave everything to follow him. The word “got up” or “arose” is also used in the miracle of paralyzed (Lk. 5:25). Both the events illustrate transforming power of Jesus who gave life to a sinner. Later Jesus dinned with Levi and his friends. It expresses that Levi had completely given himself to Jesus. He truly worshipped at the very first sight. His life was changed. He was enlightened, guided, satisfied and now had become productive.
We are told in the first reading of Prophet Isaiah; our worship is accepted when we stop treating others like animals and troubling people; stop pointing of the finger at others to blame them and stop speaking of evil about others. These are sins of commission. Failing to feed the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted are the sins of omission. These are the sins that Pharisees and scribes used to commit against the tax collectors and sinners. Whereas, Levi, the tax collector just followed Jesus and prepared himself to worship Jesus in his life. We also need to prepare ourselves because Jesus calls us at every Eucharist to dine with Him. May this season of Lent help us to purify ourselves that our worship may be worthy before our Lord.
Fr. Alex D’Mello
