Rev. Fr. Edwin Tirado, DSPNSDA Parochical Vicar, as a Mass celebrant on one of the novena masses last feast day. (File Photo)
“Kung ikaw ay makasalanan, qualified ka to be called by God.”
This is the message that Fr. Edwin Tirado, (Parochial Vicar of Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Nuestra Senora de Aranzazu), instilled to the people during the mass in honor of the celebration of the Feast of St. Matthew.
In his homily, Fr. Tirado told the story on how God called St. Matthew, whose job as a tax collector was considered a sin. Because of being a tax collector, Mateo was not accepted by the people in their place. In spite of being rejected by the people, Jesus called him, welcomed him to His home and ate with him.
Matthew is not the only sinner, all of us are. But our Lord is not here for the divine, he came for all of us sinners. People who commit their sins will be embraced by the Lord.
Fr. Edwin explained that being called by God does not mean being clean from sins. People will not stop commiting sins until the Lord takes back our lives. He exemplifies St. Agustin who was also a sinner. St. Agustin was offered by his mother, St. Monica to God “Hindi isa, hindi dalawa, kundi sampung taon pa ang itinagal bago ito tuluyang magbago,” he added.
“[We’ll be called] in His time, in His place. Not in our own time.” Fr. Edwin said. It means that we’ll all be called by God not when we want Him to call us. He’ll call us when it’s time for Him to call us. We won’t be called by the same manner, we’ll be called differently.
Before ending the homily, Fr. Edwin said a line that we should keep in mind. “Tandaan ninyo, ang lahat ng mga mahihina, lahat ng mga makasalanan, lahat ng mga disabled sa ebanghelyo, ‘yun ang mas mahal na mahal ng Diyos.” Jazlene Jimenez
