Carmelite homily for Saturday, February 29, 2020 – Lectionary 222 (Luke 5:27-32)
Because today’s Gospel passage is the same, this homily is repeated from Saturday, January 18th.
In today’s Gospel we have the call of Levi (or Matthew). Jesus is walking by the tax-collecting post and sees him and says, “Come follow me.” And Levi does. And invites everybody over to his house for a banquet in honor of this, and in honor of Jesus. And what is the reaction of the crowds, especially the scribes? They complain. How this man is a sinner; he’s a tax-collector. The people around here are sinners. This is a great blessing and all they see are the problems. John of the Cross says, “It is great wisdom to know how to be silent; look at neither the remarks nor the deeds nor the lives of others.” That is very difficult advice, very needed advice. That day at the customs-station, the tax-collectors station, and today. But I think John is right: it is great wisdom to be silent.
