Daily Gospel Reflection
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February 17, 2024
Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.
Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house,
and a large crowd of tax collectors
and others were at table with them.
The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying,
“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus said to them in reply,
“Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.”
My wife’s aunt is a family physician. Since I married into the family, I’ve been spoiled because Aunt Sara happily fields medical questions from her family and friends at all hours. I really appreciate how accessible and approachable Aunt Sara continues to be, whether I have a legitimate health concern or am just being a bit of a hypochondriac!
In today’s gospel, Jesus says to the Pharisees and scribes, “Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” I wonder how the Pharisees and scribes reacted. Perhaps some felt satisfied and thought, “I am not sick or a sinner; I don’t need a physician like those tax collectors.” But maybe some of the Pharisees and scribes understood what Jesus was saying: Everyone is a sinner.
We all need the Divine Physician to care for us in our sickness. The kingdom of God is not filled with self-righteous people who ignore their own sickness and belittle and judge their neighbors. Rather, the kingdom of God belongs to those who remember that we are all sinners in need of healing, and all are welcome at the banquet of the Lord, who heals us.
As we begin this season of Lent, I pray that we can all approach Jesus with open hearts, ready to receive his care for whatever spiritual, physical, or psychological sickness may be burdening us. Just as Aunt Sara happily responds to even the smallest medical concerns I bring her, Jesus, the Divine Physician, will help us overcome any sins or struggles we bring him with a tender, merciful love.
Prayer
Lord, you knew each of us before the foundation of the world and called us each by name. Free us from narrow, prejudicial thinking, attitudes, and actions. We are all sinners. Inspire us to humbly serve You and all your creation. We ask this through Christ our Brother Amen.
Saint of the Day

St. Alexis Falconieri was a wealthy noble in one of Italy’s most wealthy and cultured cities, yet he left that life behind him when Mary visited him and asked him to dedicate his life to God. The spirituality he helped forge continues to shape the world, and even reaches to Notre Dame.
He was born in Florence in 1200, the son of a wealthy merchant. Even as a child, he was known for his piety and humility.
As a young man, he joined an organization dedicated to honoring the Blessed Virgin, and in 1233, he and six other men from this group received a vision of Mary. She asked these seven young nobles to dedicate their lives to God, and they did, founding a religious order. They took up a common life together, and were later again visited by Mary, who held a black habit and told them, "I have chosen you to be my first Servants, and under this name you are to till my Son's vineyard. Here, too, is the habit which you are to wear; its dark color will recall the pangs which I suffered on the day when I stood by the cross of my only Son.”
They named the community the Order of the Servants of Mary, now known as the Servites. The order spread, especially through Germany and France, and within a few years, some 10,000 had joined their community.
The Servites were the first to promote a special devotion to Mary under the title, Our Lady of Sorrows. This devotion had a great impact upon Blessed Basil Moreau, founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross—he placed the Congregation under her patronage. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Sept. 15, remains an important day in the lives of the priests, brothers, and sisters of Holy Cross.
After receiving his vision of Mary, St. Alexis left all he had, took on a vow of poverty, and depended upon others for his food and shelter. Just months earlier, he had been seen as one of the most prominent nobles of Florence, and now he was wandering the region begging alms for the support of the Servite community.
His humility remained a defining characteristic—he thought himself unworthy to seek ordination to the priesthood. Alexis lived for 110 years, and his image is used here with permission from Catholic.org.
St. Alexis Falconieri, who left a life as a prominent noble to become a humble servant of Mary—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Alexis Falconieri is in the public domain. Modified from the original. Last accessed January 23, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.