The Gospel for the day talks about how Jesus saw Levi and told him, “Follow me.” In this tax collector’s house, at a table, Jesus ate with Levi, along with many other tax collectors and sinners who followed Him. Upon seeing that, the scribes who were Pharisees said to His apostles, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But Jesus heard them and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
My Reflection
1. We all have our own struggles that affect our spiritual life, or the state of our souls. Some struggle with small sins. Others, however, wrestle with grave sins, or even mortal sins, bad habits, or any negative emotional and mental battles that affect their lives in oppressing, undesirable ways.
2. The difference with sinners among one another is that some go to God and their Catholic faith to help them fight their struggles, while some reach a point of desperation and hopelessness that they mistakenly assume that even God cannot help them.
3. And these people who feel hopeless decide to just stop going to Mass, saying their prayers or devotions, or even believing the whole Faith altogether. They think that God is mad at them and can never forgive them. Worse, they think that their struggles will never be resolved; that they are never going to be able to stop those grave or habitual sins.
4. It is understandable why struggling with our sins brings us down. There are times when even though we pray for the grace to overcome these sins, we just cannot seem to stop them. I commonly hear people who simply resort to saying, “Why go to Confession and Mass when I can never stop and just repeat the same sins?”
5. On the contrary, like what was shown in this account from the Gospel of Mark, the more we are sick in spirit, the more we are afflicted by evil, the more we are sinful, and the more we are unable to overcome the repeated sins, the more we need Jesus. Instead of running away from God, the more we need to run to Him. Because He said it Himself, “I did not come to call the righteous but the sinners.”
6. Are you unable to stop these repeated sins? Then the more you need the frequent reception of the Sacraments of Penance and Communion. You see, these Sacraments give Catholics sanctifying grace to keep us stronger against evil temptations. As you deepen your relationship with Jesus and Mary, our Blessed Mother, the more you’re able to fight evil influences and the urges to sin. Have faith that God is the only one who can save us from the sins that can lead us to eternal death, even if it seems that it might take a while.
7. Remember that Jesus loves us. He lets us come to Him no matter how sinful we are. It is even Him who invites us to go to Him and to eat His Body and Blood in the Eucharist during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Because He is the sole giver of forgiveness, He frees us, through the Sacraments of the Church, from the burdens of sins we carry inside.
9. Whenever you are troubled with sins, do not cover up your feelings or resolve issues with entertainment or fun things like shopping or spending spree, and just hanging out with friends. Although these activities can help, the pleasures you get old way too fast. They can never solve your problems. Only Jesus, with the intercession of our Saints in Heaven, can give us in our spiritual life true joy and strength.
10. Keep a truly repentant heart as we go to Jesus, with the sincere resolve to try our hardest to avoid these sins, ask for God’s forgiveness, and rely on His mercy.
Mass Readings for the Day:
1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1; Psalm 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; Luke 4:18; Mark 2:13-17
A simple prayer I wrote for the day:
Jesus, heal me from the wounds of my sins, and with your grace and strength, mend my mind and my heart, with pure thoughts and right desires.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us!
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Mama Mary, pray for us!
Amen.
She graduated cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, the country's Pontifical and Catholic university, with an AB in Legal Management and minor units in Theology.
As an unmarried woman, prayer holds a central place in her daily life, with a focus on the Rosary and the Divine Office. Embodying her faith, she emphasizes the growth of her inner spiritual life, guided by the wisdom of Carmelite spirituality.
God manifested to her in a unique and radical manner, which made her know Who He truly is and led her to total surrender of her life to Him.
She has studied the Bible with her family, developing a particular fondness for the Old Testament.
Her adorable and intelligent toy poodle is a delightful companion in her daily life, bringing warmth and joy to her home.
Her hobbies include reading about everything, learning Japanese and German, listening to music and playing the flute.
In her leisure time, she enjoys gaming on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch OLED, Nintendo 3DS, iOS and OS, and collecting things related to PlayStation and Nintendo.
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