Today is the feast of the apostle, St. Matthew.  The calls of some, not all, of the apostles are recorded in the Gospels.  It is obvious that Jesus did not choose superstars as his first followers.  Matthew, perhaps one of the more gifted, was a scoundrel.  He was a tax collector for the hated Roman conquerors.  As was the practice, Matthew probably gouged his people through inflated tax figures, thus pocketing the difference.  Such tax collectors were despised by their fellow Jews.

We may be struck by the instantaneous reply of Matthew to the call of Jesus.  It may seem that Divine Providence strikes out of nowhere in a blinding flash.  It is highly probable that Matthew was experiencing self-disgust and was searching in his life—and along came Jesus.

We are called in baptism.  There may be blinding flashes of Divine Providence in our lives.  Most of the time there is challenge, reflection, and searching—and along comes Jesus.

The twelve apostles were a diverse group.  Paul points out in the first reading that various roles of service are given to build up the body of Christ, with each person’s uniqueness so contributing.  Thus each one of us is truly apostle.