When our Lord Jesus calls us to follow him, he wants to give us a new life, a new purpose, which liberates us from the enslavement of this world.

In the first reading from the book of Isaiah we have a glimpse of the tremendous effort demanded of all to do away with every form of slavery from small privileges that working companions compete for to the laws that keep
entire groups marginalised, then the light will rise in the dark.

In St. Luke’s Gospel proclamation, we find Levi who was a collaborator who worked for the Roman forces that subjugated his fellow Jews. He helped to carry out one of the most common methods of oppression and made his own living by taking a cut of the money he collected. Our Lord Jesus calls him with the words ‘Follow me’. He leaves everything and follows Him. He who was better known as Mathew was chosen as one of the twelve apostles and eventually went on to write the Gospel that bears his name. Mathew’s conversion was a great dramatic work of Jesus. A materialistic and reviled opportunist was transformed into one of the great exponents of the Gospel. Our Lord Jesus invites us as he did Mathew, to follow him! Who needs to respond? We all do. His words are a challenge to us. As he said he has not come for the righteous but for the sinners. We all need to repent, ‘because, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.’(Romans 3:23)

As we enter into the season of Lent it is an opportune time for some soul searching. We may go to church, and even pray, but decent social behavior and high moral standards does not change our fallen state and the need to open our hearts and give the truth of our hearts to Him and follow Him. If our lives are to be fruitful and free from the enslavement of the world and above all if we want to experience true salvation, true freedom we must follow him in total surrender. The holy father Pope Francis in his exhortation in Christus Vivit, says the following particularly to the youth of today “Jesus is the true youthfulness of a world grown old, the youthfulness of a universe waiting to be clothed with his light and to live his life. With Jesus at our side, we can drink from the true wellspring that keeps alive all our dreams.