My dear brothers and sisters, Jesus is declaring a profound message: He has come into this world in search of sinners. This is why He called Levi, a tax collector who later became known as Matthew. Levi was sitting at the tax booth, collecting taxes, which made him one of the most despised sinners in Israel. Tax collectors were considered the worst of sinners, excluded from the synagogues and the presence of Israelites. Yet, when Jesus chose His disciples, He deliberately selected these sinners. It was not Levi who sought Jesus and asked to be chosen; rather, it was Jesus who approached Levi and said, “You are chosen.” This is a message for each of you. Perhaps you consider yourself unworthy, thinking others are more saintly, more prayerful, or more devout because they attend Church while you see yourself as a sinner, the worst of sinners. You may be struggling with sins and wondering if God will ever bless you. But the Lord comes to you, speaks to you, and says, “I choose you.”

Many of you may not feel like going to Church. You may have avoided it out of guilt or lack of interest. Yet, the Lord comes to your home and says, “I choose you. I invite you. Come to me.” Just as Jesus went to the tax booth where Levi was committing the sin of collecting extra taxes, He comes to you wherever you are—in your room, at your workplace, even in the place where you have sinned. He is coming to that very place, inviting you, choosing you.

Now it is up to you to respond. What did Levi do?

Luke 5:27-28: “After this, he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up, left everything, and followed him.”

What does this mean? If anyone wants to follow Jesus, they must leave behind their current life situation—the sins they are entangled in, their desires, and their worldly pursuits. Levi collected extra taxes because he had dreams and plans for his future, but he had to give up everything to follow Jesus. Following Jesus requires a radical U-turn.

Fr. Joseph, who desired to join the seminary, felt homesick when he first joined, but he accepted it and became a priest.

If we want to follow Jesus, we must take a radical step—a U-turn—away from many things we once enjoyed, cherished, or pursued. We must say goodbye to our attachment to family, relatives, pleasures, dreams of wealth, fame, and the desire to be appreciated and known by others. This is often the most painful sacrifice. Just as Levi left everything behind and followed Jesus without ever looking back, we too must be willing to do the same.

The Lord is inviting each one of us: “Are you ready to follow me? I am in your home. I am speaking to you in your home, not just in a Church.”

Sometimes, we follow Jesus but then return to our sinful ways. Even the disciples like Peter, John, and James left everything to follow Jesus, but when the time of His crucifixion came, they ran away and returned to their old work. After Jesus was crucified, Peter, James, and John resumed fishing. This is not true conversion. True conversion and true discipleship began for them after Pentecost, when they left everything—their comfort zones, hometowns, and families—and went to different places to preach the Gospel, ultimately dying for their faith. Peter died in Rome, others in Spain, and Thomas died in India.

1 Corinthians 2:1-2: “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the testimony of God with superior speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

St. Paul, who studied under Gamaliel, experienced a complete conversion. Unlike Peter and the other disciples, who had an initial call but faltered, St. Paul’s call and anointing happened simultaneously, leading to a radical U-turn in his life. He gave up his fame, authority, and power in both the Roman government and among the Pharisees. Despite being tortured, flogged, insulted, and abandoned, he remained unwavering in his commitment, declaring, “Nothing will separate me from the love of Jesus Christ.” This was St. Paul’s radical calling to follow Jesus.

We often miss this radical calling. We still cling to our own ideas and ambitions, which leads to arguments, unforgiveness, jealousy, and division among us. Even in ministry, when jealousy, anger, confusion, and irritation arise, it is a clear sign that we are not truly following Jesus but are instead following our own desires. We must recognize that until we make a U-turn in our lives and say goodbye to the things we cling to—our plans, dreams, and ambitions—we are not true followers of Jesus Christ. We risk becoming a stumbling block to others, a source of scandal in the eyes of other religions, and a humiliation for Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 10:26-27: “For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.”

Anyone who harbors unforgiveness has the spirit of the devil. Gossip, hatred, anger, and revenge are sins that open the door to the devil, endangering our souls. These behaviors are against Christianity and the body of Christ. Yet, many persist in these sins, refusing to change even after knowing the truth. This hardens the heart, as it did with Pharaoh, who witnessed ten mighty signs from God but still hardened his heart and perished in the Red Sea. How many miracles have we witnessed? How many times has God blessed and protected us from danger, yet we remain unchanged, unrepentant, and persist in sin? This is the danger we face as Christians. The ultimate sacrifice for sin is Christ’s sacrifice.

Hebrews 6:4-6: “For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and then have fallen away, since they are crucifying again the Son of God to their own harm and are holding him up to contempt.”

The greatest fall happens to those who are close to God because the devil attacks them more fiercely. The Lord calls us to repentance.

James 3:1: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will face stricter judgment.”

Jesus performed many charitable acts, helping the poor even though He had no income. At the Last Supper, when Jesus told Judas to do what he must, the other disciples thought Judas was going to help the poor, as this was a customary practice of Jesus. Similarly, Mother Teresa ministered to the poor, sick, and wounded, much like Jesus who touched and healed the lepers. Mother Teresa was the hand and finger of our Lord. Yet, not many follow her example. Many are drawn to preaching ministries because of the healings and miracles, seeking glory for themselves. This is dangerous. If we are truly following Jesus, we should follow Him in both word and deed. We must examine our conscience and ask ourselves what our true intentions are in following Jesus.

Hebrews 6:5-6: “And have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, since they are crucifying again the Son of God to their own harm and are holding him up to contempt.”

Jesus continues to suffer for our sins. We need to ask for forgiveness from God and sincerely repent.