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Friends, today’s Gospel celebrates the call of Matthew. Jesus tells the tax collector, “Follow me.”

The call of Jesus addresses the mind, but it moves through the mind into the body, and through the body into the whole of one’s life, into the most practical decisions. “Follow me” has the sense of “apprentice to me” or “walk as I walk; think as I think; choose as I choose; see as I see.” Discipleship entails an entire reworking of the self according to the pattern and manner of Jesus.

Upon hearing the address of the Lord, Matthew “got up and followed him.” The Greek word behind “got up” is anastas, the same word used to describe the Resurrection (anastasis) of Jesus from the dead. Following Jesus is indeed a kind of resurrection from the dead, since it involves the transition from a lower form of life to a higher. Those who have undergone a profound conversion tend to speak of their former life as a kind of illusion, something not entirely real. The father of the prodigal son can say that he “was dead and has come to life again.” So conversion is an anastasis, a rising from death.

Gospel Reflections

Meditate on Daily Gospel Reflections from Bishop Robert Barron

24th week of Ordinary Time

Thursday

September 21

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Wednesday

September 20

Read

Tuesday

September 19

Read

Monday

September 18

Read

Sunday

September 17

Read

23rd week of Ordinary Time

Saturday

September 16

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Friday

September 15

Read

Thursday

September 14

Read

Exaltation of the Cross

Wednesday

September 13

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Tuesday

September 12

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Monday

September 11

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Sunday

September 10

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22nd week of Ordinary Time

Saturday

September 9

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Friday

September 8

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Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Thursday

September 7

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Wednesday

September 6

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Tuesday

September 5

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Monday

September 4

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Sunday

September 3

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21st week of Ordinary Time

Saturday

September 2

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Friday

September 1

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Thursday

August 31

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Wednesday

August 30

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Tuesday

August 29

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Monday

August 28

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Sunday

August 27

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20th week of Ordinary Time

Saturday

August 26

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Friday

August 25

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Thursday

August 24

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Wednesday

August 23

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Tuesday

August 22

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Monday

August 21

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Sunday

August 20

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19th week of Ordinary Time

Saturday

August 19

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Friday

August 18

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Thursday

August 17

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Wednesday

August 16

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Tuesday

August 15

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Assumption of Mary

Monday

August 14

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Sunday

August 13

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18th week of Ordinary Time

Saturday

August 12

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Friday

August 11

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Thursday

August 10

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Wednesday

August 9

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Tuesday

August 8

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Monday

August 7

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Sunday

August 6

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Transfiguration

17th week of Ordinary Time

Saturday

August 5

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