Main news for 26 July 2025

Christ called Matthew at the moment when he was carrying out his official duties, so hated by the whole people. Christ does not demand that Matthew repent beforehand, does not preach sermons to him, but immediately calls him to follow Him.

Meanwhile, not only for the fastidious Pharisees, but surely for a huge part of the people as well, Christ's association with tax collectors, the collaborators of their time, appeared monstrous. Few preachers of that era, even the wisest and most merciful, would have addressed such people without risking their own reputation. But the Lord sees hearts, and Christ saw Matthew's readiness to leave everything and follow Him, a readiness to do something many people with spotless reputations proved unable to do.

Here before us is a witness to the possibility of forgiveness even for people whom public opinion has grown used to considering hopeless, and this means that forgiveness is possible for any of us. And here, too, we see a warning to those who consider themselves, if not impeccable, then "not the worst," that is, again, each of us: do not exalt yourselves over anyone, for you know nothing about those whom you have grown used to despising.