"I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners."
Setting the Stage
Go to your prayer space and light your candle. Take some deep breaths and be aware that Jesus is with you during this time of reflection. Be aware also that your retreat is slowly coming to an end.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for this time with you. Please quiet my mind and open my heart to hear Your Word and to be open to the message You have for me. By taking this time to discern, may I hear your call to a lifestyle and a career that will let me love as only I can, and let me serve others with the special gifts You have given me. Amen.
Reading: Luke 5:27-32
(Slowly read through the following scripture passage perhaps jotting down or mentally taking note of what seems to stand out most for you.)
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners."
Reflection
What it must have been like for Levi to be singled out by Jesus to follow him! Levi was a tax collector, a profession despised by the people of his time. For me as a teenager at the time of my call, I felt unworthy and imagine that Levi felt the same. I wasn't in a profession that people found deplorable but I still felt unworthy and unqualified. How could Jesus want me to be his own, to follow Him? There was nothing great about me. I was just an ordinary girl. What possibly could I contribute to the mission? That is the mystery! Jesus called Levi and the other Apostles and disciples who were not necessarily the most educated or influential people of His time. Individually each of those disciples seemed insignificant and small but together, with Jesus, they changed the world. As long as I could remember I wanted to make a difference in the world. Jesus knew that I wanted to make a difference and called me to be a part of a religious community. By myself, I might have touched some lives but together with Jesus and my community, I have seen wonderful and great things happening in the world. There is a power of witness in number. Like Levi, when I was called, my heart was full of gratitude. Today, I am still grateful that Jesus was able to look beyond my flaws and limitations and see the possibilities. Since I have entered religious life, my sisters have called forth many of my gifts and talents which I am now able to share with the world. I believe that is why Jesus ate and drank with characters like the tax collectors and sinners. They didn't know their goodness and worthiness until Jesus ate and drank with them. Jesus had a way of transforming lives. I often ask God for that generosity of heart to see myself and others the way God sees us.
Reflection Questions
Answer the questions that most important to you. Do not feel you need to try and answer them all.
- What feelings come forth for you when you think that God might be calling you?
- When you spend time in prayer, what would it be like for you to just let God look at you? What does God see? (Don't give your perception. In your imagination, truly allow God to look at you. How does this affect you?
- What symbol can you use to remind you of how God sees you?
Get in touch with your retreat director
Email your retreat director and share with him or her your reflections.
