Opening Prayer

God of mercy and compassion,
you call weak people, sinful as they are,
to give shape to your dreams
about people and their world
and to be instruments of salvation.
Give us trust, not in our own strength,
but in the power of your love,
which can do through us and with us
what we ourselves are incapable of.
We thank you for calling us
out of our frailty and alienation
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading Introduction
The word of God is alive and active, says the first reading. It is so alive and active that this word of God, spoken by Jesus, changes sinners into saints. This word can judge, but it judges with mildness: by offering new chances. Do we offer these chances to others? Or does our attitude—if not words—of condemnation keep people confined within their mediocrity and failures?

Gospel Introduction

Matthew is a typical sinner, a tax collector, one who was not only exploiting his own people but a traitor to them as a collaborator with the Romans. But he responds to Jesus' call and becomes an apostle and martyr, faithful to the end.

General Intercessions

– For the Church, a community of saints and sinners, that we the people of God, and our leaders may not so much condemn those who fail but give them new chances in life, we pray:
– For people who have failed often and no longer dare believe in themselves, in God or in the community, that they may draw new courage and hope from our understanding and compassion, we pray:
– For priests and religious, that they may keep trusting in the Lord who notwithstanding their human weakness called them, and that with Christ, they may care especially for the poor and the weak, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts
    Lord, our God,
    your Son did not deem it below his dignity
    to go to the houses of sinners
    and to eat and drink with them.
    We are thankful that here today,
    he sits at table with us, weak people.
    We recognize your merciful love.
    All we can say is: Thank you, Father,
    through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Prayer after Communion
God, in this Eucharist,
we have experienced your forgiving mercy
and your call for hope and trust in you.
May we never look down
on people struggling against their weakness
or too tired to stand up.
Help us to recognize in them
our own flesh and blood torn apart
and crying out, aloud or in silence,
for an understanding heart and a helping hand.
We ask this through Jesus Christ. our Lord.

Blessing
How daring of Jesus, how sure of himself! Jesus chooses one whom all consider a public sinner and makes him his apostle, to build his Church on him, similar also on some other apostles, who will show signs of great weakness. God trusts us. Let us also trust him and ask for the blessing of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.