Prayer that we will persevere in following Jesus

In the spiritual life, we will often feel unworthy of being a Christian. We think that our sins are too much and that we could never turn back to God.

Yet, St. Matthew, the tax collector who was considered a public sinner because he cooperated with the Roman authorities, reminds us that God calls all of us, no matter our situation, to follow him.

Here is the Collect for the feast of St. Matthew, which focuses on this truth and asks God to grant us perseverance in following him.