Vatican City - Seventy-one years ago, on September 21, 1953, a pivotal moment in the life of a young Jorge Mario Bergoglio led him to the path of priesthood. This life-changing experience, which occurred when he was just 17 years old, eventually culminated in his entrance into the novitiate of the Society of Jesus on March 11, 1958. After years of spiritual formation, he was ordained a priest on December 13, 1969, just days before his 33rd birthday. Forty-four years later, on March 13, 2013, he would be elected as the leader of the Catholic Church, becoming Pope Francis.

In a homily given in May 2013, Pope Francis shared the story of that transformative day in his youth, when he first felt the stirrings of his priestly vocation. Reflecting on his experience, the Holy Father said, “I passed by the parish where I was going, found a priest, whom I did not know, and felt the need to go to confession. This was an experience of encounter: I found that someone was waiting for me.”

The pope revealed that he wasn’t sure why he felt so called to confess, especially since he did not know the priest. However, after the confession, he sensed a profound shift within himself. “I was not the same. I had heard something like a voice, a call: I was convinced that I should become a priest,” he recalled.

This life-changing event took place on September 21, the feast day of St. Matthew, the tax collector whom Jesus called to follow Him and become one of His apostles. This connection to St. Matthew has had a deep and lasting impact on Pope Francis, who later chose his papal motto, “Miserando atque eligendo,” inspired by a homily given by St. Bede on the call of St. Matthew. The Latin phrase translates to “by having mercy, he called him,” reflecting the pope’s own experience of being called through God’s mercy.

Inspiration of St. Matthew
Pope Francis has frequently reflected on the significance of the call of St. Matthew, both in his own life and in his teachings. The story of Matthew’s conversion, and the painting depicting the moment by Caravaggio in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, have served as sources of personal reflection for the Holy Father.

In a homily delivered on September 21, 2017, Pope Francis recounted the Gospel passage where Jesus encounters Matthew at his tax booth: “Jesus came from healing a paralytic and as he was leaving he found this man called Matthew. The Gospel says: ‘He saw a man called Matthew.’ And where was this man? Sitting at the tax booth. One of those who made the people of Israel pay taxes, to give them to the Romans — a traitor to his country.”

Pope Francis vividly described how Jesus’ gaze, filled with love and mercy, touched Matthew deeply: “The man felt looked down upon by Jesus. He said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him. But what happened? That is the power of Jesus’ gaze. Surely he looked at him with so much love, with so much mercy, that look of the merciful Jesus. ‘Follow me, come.’”

He further elaborated on Caravaggio’s famous painting, which shows Matthew clinging to his money, torn between his attachment to wealth and the invitation to follow Christ: “And the other looking sideways, with one eye on God and the other on money, clinging to money as Caravaggio painted him: just like that, clinging and also with a surly, gruff look. And Jesus loving, merciful. And the resistance of the man who wanted money — he was such a slave to money — falls.”

A Personal Connection
Pope Francis has often shared that he feels a personal connection to Matthew’s story, seeing parallels between his own life and that of the tax collector-turned-apostle. In an interview with Father Antonio Spadaro, the Holy Father reflected on the moment in Caravaggio’s painting when Jesus points toward Matthew. “That finger of Jesus like that, toward Matthew. That’s how I am. That’s how I feel. Like Matthew,” Pope Francis said.

What strikes the pope most is Matthew’s reaction, holding onto his money as if to say, *“No, not me! No, this money is mine!”* This, Pope Francis explained, resonates deeply with him: “Here, this is me: a sinner to whom the Lord has turned his eyes. And this is what I said when they asked me if I would accept my election as pope.”

Through these reflections, Pope Francis highlights the profound impact that God’s mercy and calling have had on his life. His journey from that moment of confession in 1953 to his election as pope in 2013 is a testament to the transformative power of God’s grace. Inspired by the call of St. Matthew, Pope Francis continues to emphasize the importance of mercy and humility in his ministry as the shepherd of the Catholic Church.