Today's Gospel

Your Deepest Need

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant, where we are exploring the genius of Jesus. Today's reading comes from Matthew chapter 9, verses 9 through 13. "As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and He said to him, 'Follow Me,' and he rose and followed Him. And as He sat at a table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, 'Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' But when Jesus heard it, He said, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.'" Go and learn what this means. "I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." What jumps out at you? We should take great comfort in this reading. We should take comfort in this reading. Because of all our imperfections or all our faults, all our failings, Jesus is saying, "I came for you. You're the ones I came for, not the ones who pretended to be perfect, not the ones who pretended to be righteous, not the ones who are pretending, but I came for you. You're the ones who need Me and know you need Me." And that is, fundamentally, the difference between the tax collectors, the sinners, and the scribes, the Pharisees, and self-appointed, righteous ones. Fundamental difference is that there really is no difference between them, just that one group is aware of their need for God and need for Jesus, and the other is unaware of their need for God and need for Jesus. And so, maybe today, we reflect on our need for God. If we were not held constantly in the mind of God, constantly, if we were not held in the mind of God for one second, you'd just disappear. Our need for God is ever-present, is constant. But maybe, we take it for granted, sometimes. Have an amazing day. Remember, Be Bold. Be Catholic.

The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality has just been released. I want to read you just the first line. "What if everything the Catholic Church teaches is true?" This is the one question most people never consider when it comes to the Catholic faith. The Seven Pillars transformed my life when I was a teenager. I was 15 years old. A spiritual mentor entered my life and taught me about the Seven Pillars, challenged me to ingrain them into my life as habits. And I would not be sitting here today if it were not for The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality. They are ancient habits that are ever new, that are ever relevant, that are ever willing to transform our lives if we're willing to embrace them. Question is, are we willing to embrace them? And that's my challenge for you today. Wherever you are in your journey, maybe you've practiced the Seven Pillars for a long time. Discover them anew. Enter into them at a new level, at a new depth with new commitment. Have a great day. Enjoy The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality. And remember, Be Bold. Be Catholic.