Feast of Saint Matthew--Apostle and Evangelist

Good morning. I spent yesterday evening attempting to have a small group of people appreciate the significance of three words uttered in today’s Gospel and the influence those three words have in the lives of marriage and family counselors like myself. These three words are taken from the Gospel of Matthew, for the person credited with being the author of this Gospel and his response to those three words is the cause for celebration of his feast day today. As I reflect on those three words, “Come, follow me!” I am given to wonder about the importance of those words in my own life, and the lives of other marriage and family counselors, and the significance our response indeed has upon the lives of those we serve. The idea of providing counseling for most people, including my audience of last evening, is likely to be as exciting as watching paint dry, nevertheless for me it is indeed something I feel quite passionate about. Although most might view what Marriage and Family Counselors do to be rather ordinary, it is likely due to their unawareness of the impact our involvement with people’s lives can truly have. They are not likely to see how the time spent with a battered woman and helping her better see that she is a gifted child of God not only changes her life but likewise allows her daughter to know and appreciate her own goodness. They are not likely to see how the time spent with a couple struggling with the question of divorce can lead to their children coming to know and appreciate the joy of marital commitment and fidelity. They are not likely to appreciate how spending time with an unemployed individual floundering for direction can lead to his taking concrete steps to improving his life and the lives of others his life may touch. They are not likely to appreciate how spending time with a young student shackled with the label of being “ADHD” can lead to his coming to know and enjoy his God given gifts and talents. No, they are not likely to appreciate how the ordinary can significantly impact and enrich the lives of those we serve. As marriage and family counselors we embrace the lives of so many people; and much like the person whose life we commemorate today, we are followers of Jesus, we respond to His words “Come follow me!” in the context of helping ordinary people pick-up the pieces of their not so ordinary lives. As marriage and family counselors we respond to His call to follow each and every day. May we always have the grace to follow with wisdom and compassion. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Matthew—Apostle and Evangelist.