The Memorial of Saint Anthony of Egypt
Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. He had a son whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a more handsome person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people.
The donkeys of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. Kish said to Saul his son, "Now take one of the servants with you, and arise, go look for the donkeys." He passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn't find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they weren't there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn't find them.
You have given him his heart's desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah. For you meet him with the blessings of goodness. You set a crown of fine gold on his head.
He asked life of you and you gave it to him, even length of days forever and ever. His glory is great in your salvation. You lay honor and majesty on him.
For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord. Through the loving kindness of the Most High, he shall not be moved.
He went out again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. He said to him, "Follow me."And he arose and followed him.
He was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many, and they followed him. The scribes and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why is it that he eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"
When Jesus heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Saint Anthony of Egypt, the father of Christian monasticism, left everything behind in the third century to seek God in the desert. His radical commitment to following Christ inspired countless others to pursue lives of prayer and simplicity.
What strikes me most about Levi's calling is how ordinary the moment appears. Jesus simply walks by a tax booth and says, "Follow me." No dramatic signs, no lengthy explanation—just an invitation that changes everything. Levi doesn't hesitate or negotiate terms. He gets up and follows.
This immediate response reminds me of how God often calls us in the most mundane circumstances. We're sitting at our desks, driving to work, or washing dishes when suddenly we sense an invitation to trust more deeply, forgive more freely, or serve more generously. Like Levi, we have a choice: stay seated in our familiar routines or rise and follow.
What I find beautiful here is Jesus' response to the critics. When the Pharisees question why he eats with tax collectors and sinners, Jesus doesn't defend his dinner companions or argue about their worthiness. Instead, he reveals his mission: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
This challenges our tendency to categorize people as worthy or unworthy of God's love. Jesus seeks out those who know they need healing—the tax collectors who recognize their greed, the sinners aware of their brokenness. Sometimes our greatest obstacle to encountering Christ isn't our sin but our certainty that we don't need him.
Like Saint Anthony, who embraced radical dependence on God, we're invited to acknowledge our need for the divine physician.
Where might Jesus be walking by your life today, offering a simple invitation to follow? What keeps you seated when you sense God calling you to rise?