- 10th Sunday in Ordinary Time
(In some places on this Sunday the solemnity of Corpus Christi is celebrated)
Readings: Hosea 6:3-6; Romans 4:18-25; Matthew 9:9-13.The readings of this Sunday reveal that the heart of faith is not external religiosity, but a living relationship of trust, mercy, and love with God. In the prophet Hosea (6:3–6), the Lord declares: “What I want is love, not sacrifice; knowledge of God, not holocausts.” God desires not empty rituals or appearances of holiness, but hearts truly open to Him. This same truth is embodied in Abraham, described by Saint Paul in Romans (4:18–25), who continued to hope and believe even when humanly everything seemed impossible. Abraham did not deny reality, but he trusted more in the faithfulness of God than in visible circumstances. His faith gave glory to God because it rested completely upon divine promise. In the Gospel (Matthew 9:9–13), Jesus calls Matthew the tax collector and eats with sinners, proclaiming: “It is not the healthy who need the doctor, but the sick.” Christ reveals that God’s mercy seeks precisely those who recognize their need for healing and salvation. True knowledge of God therefore leads not to pride or exclusion, but to compassion, humility, and mercy. Jesus did not come for those who consider themselves already righteous, but for hearts willing to be transformed by grace. The readings together teach that authentic faith is a combination of trusting hope like Abraham, merciful love desired by God, and humble openness to Christ who comes as the physician of wounded humanity. Let’s reflect: Am I truly living a faith rooted in merciful love, humble openness, and trusting hope in God’s promises, or am I relying more on appearances, self-righteousness, and external forms of religion?
Don Giorgio