Catholic Daily Reflections – September 21 – Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist – Gospel: Matthew 9:9-13 Reflection. The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of St Matthew today. In the Gospel, Jesus calls Matthew from the customs post with the simple command to follow Him.
You may be sitting on your purpose right now. Working. Earning. Surviving. Using your skills – but not yet using them for the reason God gave them to you.
Matthew was sitting at his tax desk when Jesus walked into his ordinary working day and changed everything. “Follow me.” That invitation transformed a tax collector into a disciple.
Sometimes God does not need to give you new abilities. He needs you to give Him the abilities you already have.
Matthew 9:9-13 Reflection
Matthew 9:9-13 begins in an ordinary workplace. Matthew is sitting at the customs post doing his job.
Then Jesus passes by, sees him and calls him to follow. Matthew gets up and follows Him. Later, Jesus shares a meal with Matthew and other tax collectors and sinners. When the Pharisees object, Jesus explains that the sick need a physician and emphasizes mercy rather than empty religious appearances.
Do not miss what happens here. Jesus does not meet Matthew inside the Temple. He meets him at work. At his desk. In the middle of his normal routine.
That should immediately tell you something about purpose. God can walk into the ordinary places of your life and call you toward something greater. It may be; Your office. Your workshop. Your classroom. Your farm. Your hospital ward. Your business. Your kitchen. Your computer. Your construction site. Your social-media account.
Your ordinary Monday morning may be standing only one decision away from becoming part of an extraordinary mission. Your Career Is Not Necessarily Your Purpose. Matthew had an occupation.
But his occupation was not the final definition of his life. He was a tax collector, and tax collectors were widely despised in his society. The Bible describes the dramatic change in Matthew’s life from tax collector to Apostle and Evangelist following the call of Jesus.
Think about that. If somebody had looked at Matthew before Jesus called him, they might have identified him entirely by his profession. That tax collector. Finished.
But Jesus looked at Matthew and saw more than his current position. And maybe that is what somebody reading this reflection needs to hear today.
Your current job is not necessarily the full explanation of why God created you. You can be an accountant and still have a deeper mission. You can be a teacher and still have a deeper mission.
You can be a mechanic, farmer, doctor, driver, entrepreneur, engineer, nurse, programmer, parent, student or content creator and still need to ask: “God, why did You give me these particular abilities?”
Because your profession tells us what you do. Your purpose asks why you are here and whom your life is meant to serve. What About Your Talents, Gifts, Skills, Passions and Knowledge?
This is where today’s Gospel becomes deeply practical. Matthew’s life did not become valuable only after Jesus called him. Rather, Jesus redirected Matthew’s life.
Think of the abilities somebody working in taxation would need: organization, dealing with records, handling information, communicating with people and paying attention to details.
The lesson is not that every skill from our old life automatically becomes our ministry. The deeper lesson is this: God can redirect what you have learned, experienced and developed toward a greater purpose.
Maybe you are extremely good with numbers. Why?
Maybe you communicate complicated ideas in language ordinary people understand. Why?
Maybe you can organize people when everybody else is confused. Why?
Maybe you love caring for children. Why?
Maybe you understand technology naturally. Why?
Maybe people consistently come to you when they need advice. Why?
Maybe you can cook. Build. Repair. Teach. Lead. Write. Design. Sing. Farm. Sell. Manage. Listen. Encourage. Solve problems.
Have you ever stopped long enough to ask: “Lord, what did You intend me to do with this?” Many people spend years developing skills but never investigate their purpose.
They ask:
“What job pays the most?”
“What business can make me rich?”
“What career is respected?”
“What will make people notice me?”
Those questions are understandable.
But today’s Gospel pushes us toward a deeper question: “Jesus, where are You asking me to follow You with what You have already placed inside me?”
Before You Serve Effectively, Discover Why You Were Created. This brings us to one of the most important principles of purposeful living:
Before you can effectively serve God, you must first identify and know why God created you and for what purpose. Only after discovering that can you serve God using your specific God-given talents, passions, skills and knowledge.
But this does not mean sitting at home doing nothing until one day a complete purpose statement falls from heaven. Matthew heard the call and moved.
Purpose is often discovered through prayer and action. Through service. Through experimenting. Through learning. Through responsibility. Through doors that open. Through doors that close. Through problems you feel compelled to solve. Through the needs of people around you. Through abilities others consistently recognize in you. Through experiences that have shaped you.
So ask yourself:
What am I naturally good at?
What have I learned to do exceptionally well?
What problems can I solve?
What human needs deeply move me?
What work gives me a genuine sense that my life is benefiting somebody?
What knowledge have I acquired that could make another person’s life better?
Where do my abilities meet somebody else’s need?
Those questions can begin uncovering the fingerprints of purpose. Jesus Did Not Only Call Matthew Away From Something, He called him toward something.
That distinction matters. Christian purpose is not merely about stopping sin. It is also about becoming useful for the Kingdom of God.
Stop cheating, yes. But then become trustworthy.
Stop selfishness, yes. But then become generous.
Stop burying your abilities, yes. But then develop them.
Stop chasing applause, yes. But then start serving.
Stop comparing yourself with somebody else’s assignment, yes. But then become excellent at your own.
Today’s first reading makes this theme even stronger. Saint Paul says that grace is given differently and speaks about apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers being given for service and for building up the Body of Christ.
Different gifts. Different responsibilities. Different roles. One Body. One Lord. One mission.
You do not have to become somebody else to become useful to God. You need to discover what He has entrusted to you. And Do Not Disqualify Yourself Because of Your Past.
There is another powerful lesson in Matthew’s story. The Pharisees saw categories: Tax collectors. Sinners. People to avoid.
Jesus saw people who needed mercy. He compared His mission to a physician caring for the sick and declared the importance of mercy.
Maybe you have made mistakes. Maybe your career has taken wrong turns. Maybe you wasted opportunities. Maybe you ignored your talents for years. Maybe you are starting again at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70. Do not conclude that God has finished with you.
Matthew’s customs desk was not the end of his story. Your present chapter does not have to be the final chapter either.
Today’s Modern-Time Lesson
Today, do three things.
First, identify one talent, skill, passion or area of knowledge that God has clearly placed in your life.
Second, ask: “Who could benefit if I developed this ability seriously?”
Third, take one concrete action. Enroll in the course. Write the first page. Make the phone call. Start practising. Help the person. Launch the project. Apply for the opportunity. Volunteer. Teach someone. Use the gift.
Matthew heard two words: “Follow me.” And he got up.
There comes a point when discernment must become movement.
You cannot discover everything about your purpose while remaining permanently seated at the customs desk of fear, comfort, excuses or procrastination. Get up.
There may be a completely different chapter of your life waiting on the other side of obedience.
Conclusion
So wherever God places you today, serve with humility. Speak with kindness. Carry your responsibilities with faith.
And do your work with such integrity, excellence and love that the people who encounter you can sincerely say: “Thank you. May the God you worship be praised and glorified.”
Let your work become part of your testimony. Let your talents become instruments of service. Let your skills solve real problems. Let your knowledge lift somebody.
Let your life quietly announce: God is real. God is good. And God is at work in me.
And when success eventually comes, never say: “I made it all by myself.” Remember who gave you life. Who gave you opportunity. Who gave you strength. Who gave you the ability to learn.
Say instead: “It is through the strength, grace and providence that God gives me.”
Like Matthew, hear Christ’s invitation. Then get up. Follow Him. And take your gifts with you.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, You saw Matthew sitting at his customs post and called him into a greater life of discipleship and service. Look upon me today. Help me recognize why You created me and discover the talents, gifts, skills, passions and knowledge You have entrusted to me.
Give me the courage to leave behind whatever prevents me from following You. Redirect my abilities toward what is good. Teach me to serve with humility, work with excellence, show mercy to others and use my life for Your glory. When You call me forward, Lord, give me the courage to get up and follow. Amen.
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