What might need to be left behind in order to respond fully to God’s invitation today? Caravaggio’s The Calling of Matthew captures the moment Jesus calls a tax collector to leave behind his old life and follow. The painting invites reflection on the distractions and hesitations that may block openness to God’s call.

Luke 5:27-32

Use this guide for prayer and contemplation. Read slowly, pausing as needed for silence and reflection.

Opening

Settle into a comfortable posture. Let your shoulders drop.

Take a slow breath in. And a slow breath out.

God of light and mercy, meet us here.

Reflection on Contemplative Prayer

Today, we come to encounter God by looking at artwork, listening to Scripture, and allowing the Spirit to speak to our hearts.

Sometimes our daily experience feels dark and burdensome. Yet the light of God is always present, piercing the gloom of our earthly struggles. Jesus enters every experience of our life with an outstretched hand, inviting us to turn toward him. His presence can be difficult to discern. But as we practice being aware—awake and attentive—we begin to notice that he has entered our room and called us by name. And we are given the grace to turn and respond to his love and light.

Scripture

Luke 5:27–32 (The Inclusive Bible)

Afterward, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi
sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Levi got up, left everything behind, and followed him.

Then Levi threw a great banquet for Jesus in his home. A large number of tax collectors and others sat down to eat with them. The Pharisees and their legal experts grumbled against his disciples. They said, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

And Jesus answered, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners to change their hearts and lives.”

Holy Spirit, bring this word close. As we gaze upon the scene of Levi’s call, let your invitation become personal—spoken into our own ordinary rooms.

Artwork for Prayerful Reflection

The Calling of Saint Matthew — Caravaggio

As you look at the painting, allow your first impression to arrive without rushing. Pause.

Perhaps your eye is drawn to the beam of light, or to Jesus’ hand, or to the window, or to the faces gathered around the table. Stay with what catches your eye, and notice where it leads you.

On the left, a group of five men sit at a table, absorbed in business—coins, a ledger, the day’s take.

On the right, Jesus enters with Peter into a darkened room—quietly, not coercively—his hand extended in invitation.

In the window, the panes form an obvious cross, and the light falls with full force across the table—calling, revealing, making room for new life.

Reflection Questions

As you gaze at the painting, what draws your attention first—and what might God be offering you through that first impression?

What part of the scene feels most familiar to your life right now: the dark room, the table of work, the sudden interruption, the quiet invitation?

When you hear Jesus say, “Follow me,” what rises in you—resistance, longing, fear, relief, hope?

Imagine there is a space at the table for you too; what is on the table in front of you that most easily engrosses your heart and mind?

In your own “dark room,” what helps you notice that Jesus has entered—and what tends to keep you oblivious to his presence?

Where do you sense God’s light resting on you today, and what does that light reveal about who you are—beloved, forgiven, called?

What might you be invited to leave behind—something you cling to, something that defines you, something that keeps you from rising and following?

If you could speak to Jesus as if he is in the room with you, hand outstretched, what would you want to say about your response?

As you look again, what has changed in what you see—and what change might God be forming in you?

Closing

Jesus, as you call us from darkness into light, lead us into your deepest love and into the discovery of who we truly are, transformed by Christ. Amen.