Matthew 9:9

We have a saying, “Do not judge a book by its cover.” We see a person with fine clothes, a nice car, and materially rich, we think he is okay and happy. Hence it is the desire to become rich. How many of us tell ourselves that “If I win the lotto, it will be happily ever after.”

In the Gospel of St. Matthew, we hear about a man who was materially rich, yet he was not liked as people saw him as a traitor; he had lots of friends, yet they were sinners and outcasts of society; he was finely dressed, yet he was lonely. That is why, as soon as Christ invited him, “follow me,” he left the customs post and followed Christ.

My dear friends, every day of our lives God invites us to many things and three of these are as follows:

1. Follow Christ to His Call. In the book, Purpose Driven Life, we are told that each life has a purpose and meaning because of a call or a mission. In fact, we are blessed accordingly to the call or mission that we have. Hence we are challenged to be faithful to the call in order for us to be a blessing to others.
2. Follow Christ by following His word. Although the words of Christ are 21 centuries old, it is the same as yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Since God is the author of life and is alive, his words are the way to go in this life. They are what guide us in every aspect of life.
3. Follow Christ by Letting Go. In the Gospel, Matthew left everything behind – money, position, and a secured future. This is not because God wants us to have a difficult life, it is only because He has a better plan. And yes, if He calls, He will provide.

That is why we pray that we may always follow Christ, difficult as it may be. We remember the saying, “ Do not compare yourself to other Christians. Instead, compare yourself to Christ. He is the one you are following.”