A TIME FOR MENDING!

MARCH 12, 2011

by Lorenzo S. Centino, Jr.

LUKE 5: 27 - 32 

27 After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." 28 And he left everything, and rose and followed him. 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a large company of tax collectors and others sitting at table with them. 30 And the Pharisees and their scribes murmured against his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" 31 And Jesus answered them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:

A BLESSED SATURDAY TO ALL!

When someone aggrieved or hurt us, our most common reaction is to drive the offender to back-off to leave us alone. This is so because our most natural reaction to painful and distressing situation is avoidance. But we have also this tendency that we can easily talk over (gossiping/tsismis) the mistakes or wrong doings of others than about our own.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is approaching a man despised by many because of his profession as a tax collector. Tax collectors are considered public sinners because they are thought to be cheating the public. Moreover, they are thought to be collaborators of their oppressors, the Roman Empire. Thus, they are considered among the outcast. As such, they don’t deserve special treatment of friendship and intimacy. However, in the Gospel today, Jesus showed the people a different attitude that defies the common attitude of the people towards sinners. In fact, what he did caused commotions of disapproval from the self-righteous people. The Pharisees and Scribes murmured in the spirit of displeasure and condemnation. They denounce in contempt Jesus’ intimate contact and dealing with sinners. How many times we become like these Pharisees and Scribes who point our fingers at sinners as to disapprove and condemn their wrong doings.

This incident in the house of a sinner reflects so clearly the spirit of Lent. Lent is a moment for us to encounter God who reached out to us for reconciliation. Lent is a moment to experience more intimately the merciful and healing presence of God in our spiritual brokenness toward wholeness and self-integration. Lent is analogous to the visit of Jesus to Levi’s house where sinners have their feast. Lent is a time for us to INTIMATELY allow God to dine with us in our house, in our hearts, where we allow him to heal our brokenness and iniquities. Indeed, Lent is a time of fasting from anything that obstructs us from moving straight towards God. But, such fasting is more on INTERIOR DISCIPLINE of detachment and severance form sin that should lead us to having a FEAST with others through RENEWED RELATIONSHIP with OURSELVES, with OTHERS and with GOD. Jesus having a feast with sinners is an act of God renewing His relationship with sinners by reconciling them back to him. Lent then is a time to be RECONCILED with those whom we sever our ties with. Lent is therefore not a time for FINGER-POINTING but a time for EMBRACE, not so much a time to FAULT-FINDING in OTHERS but a time to SELF-EXAMINATION, and not a time to CONDEMN but a time for MENDING!