The Call of St. Matthew

"Jesus said to him, "Follow me."

And he got up and followed Jesus."

Mark 2:14

One look upon the Face of Christ consumed the heart of a man entrenched in the comforts of unearned wealth. So, what was in this Face that compelled Matthew to arise so quickly? 

Most of us resist the Face of Christ, for in it we catch a glimpse of the fullness of Love--a fullness which we would almost prefer not to receive.

We are afraid of Its Fire.

Leaping from this Fire, is the gaze that pierced Matthew, the gaze which spoke, "You may stay at your post. Your are free to stay. But, even as the eternal, invincible God, My joy will not be full without you in My company." What drew Matthew was the radicality of the desire of God; that God longed for him personally.

Like Matthew, we must accept God's longing for us, and allow ourselves to be drawn by Love. We must not succumb to the temptation to resist God's longing for us under the pretext of our misery. It's true that we are almost embarrassed by the thought of God desiring us. But, it would be a fatal mistake to have more confidence in our wretchedness than His desire. He does not come to us in spite of our sinfulness, but because of it.

Let yourself be loved.

Let yourself be longed for.

Everything depends on it.