Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time: Year C - Oct. 30, 2016.
Readings: Wis. 11:22-12:2; Responsorial Psalm Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14; Thes. 1:11-2:2; Gospel Lk. 19:1-10.
Theme: The Challenge of Meeting the Lord & the Sycamore Tree!
Friends in Christ, the wisdom text (Wis. 11:22-12:2) we read today reminds us about God's kindness and mercy as well as his ardent desire to save sinners. It particularly notes that he does that: "...that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in [him]."
This implies that God's love is infinite and his mercies unparalleled. Such warm assurances are sure a product of God's benevolence. There is no better moment for appropriating such a salvific gesture than when the Jubilee Year of Mercy is winding up.
The message of the first reading is reinforced in the gospel (Lk. 19:1-10) where the publican Zacchaeus takes advantage of Jesus passing through Jericho. From him, we learn that:
1. Jesus passes through the Jericho of our daily lives but only those who hunger for him can take advantage of the situation and be the better for it.
2. Zacchaeus puts aside his high status (chief tax collector) and social standing (wealth) in society to meet the Lord of all. Anyone who wishes to approach the Lord must throw away earthly the trappings of power and money - humility does it all.
3. In "seeking to see who Jesus was", the tax collector provides us with a new approach to spirituality namely, "an irresistible curious desire" to meet the Lord.
4. His short stature and haste to meet Christ indicates that though we may be limited in many ways, God desires that we come to him as we are.
5. The sycamore tree Zacchaeus climbed is a metaphor for the Church as the mountain from where we can have a divine encounter with God which further prepares us for climbing down to relate with him in the daily events of our lives with our friends, family and neighbours.
6. Notice that Jesus was just passing but when he saw the short man's effort, he changed his mind to wine and dine in his (Zacchaeus') house - Meaning that if we oblige Jesus, he will divert and turn his attention to our homes and society. The word of God says: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat..." (Revelation 3:20 ). 7. Zacchaeus' resolve to make restitution is another major lesson for us: “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I shall repay it four times over” Do we readily make restitution like Zacchaeus especially when we go for confession and the priest charges us to return whatever we may have stolen? 8. We may be excited that Jesus told Zacchaeus: “Today salvation has come to this house..." But we have to learn to work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12) - Meaning that salvation is open to all the sons and daughters of Abraham who are desirous of being saved and work at it.
This is why the second reading (Thes. 1:11-2:2) insists that we pray so that God can make us "worthy of his calling."
While delivering his homily at the closing Mass for World Youth Day celebrations which held Campus Misericordiae, Krakow - Poland on 31 July 2016, the Holy Father, Pope Francis noted that today's Gospel speaks to us about the meeting between Jesus and a man named Zacchaeus, in Jericho (Cf. Lk 19:1-10).To conclude, let us drew certain lessons from the Holy Father's homily: 1. Jesus passes through the city to accompany us on our journey: There Jesus does not simply preach or greet people; as the Evangelist tells us, he passed through the city (v. 1). In other words, Jesus wants to draw near to us personally, to accompany our journey to its end, so that his life and our life can truly meet.
2. Zacchaeus experiences a life changing encounter: An amazing encounter then takes place, with Zacchaeus, the chief “publican” or tax collector. Zacchaeus was thus a wealthy collaborator of the hated Roman occupiers, someone who exploited his own people, someone who, because of his ill repute, could not even approach the Master. His encounter with Jesus changed his life, just as it has changed, and can daily still change, each of our lives.
3. The tax collector faces three obstacles: But Zacchaeus had to face a number of obstacles in order to meet Jesus:
a). Smallness in stature: Zacchaeus couldn’t see the Master because he was little. Even today we can risk not getting close to Jesus because we don’t feel big enough, because we don’t think ourselves worthy. This is a great temptation; it has to do not only with self-esteem, but with faith itself. For faith tells us that we are “children of God… that is what we are” (1 Jn 3:1). We have been created in God’s own image; Jesus has taken upon himself our humanity and his heart will never be separated from us; the Holy Spirit wants to dwell within us. We have been called to be happy for ever with God! That is our real “stature”, our spiritual identity: we are God’s beloved children, always. So you can see that not to accept ourselves, to live glumly, to be negative, means not to recognize our deepest identity. It is like walking away when God wants to look at me, trying to spoil his dream for me. God loves us the way we are, and no sin, fault or mistake of ours makes him change his mind. As far as Jesus is concerned – as the Gospel shows – no one is unworthy of, or far from, his thoughts. No one is insignificant. He loves all of us with a special love; for him all of us are important: you are important! Because we are always his beloved sons and daughters. Let us be mindful of this at the dawn of each new day. It will do us good to pray every morning: “Lord, I thank you for loving me; help me to be in love with my own life!” Not with my faults, that need to be corrected, but with life itself, which is a great gift, for it is a time to love and to be loved. b). Paralysis of shame: The second obstacle Zacchaeus faced a in meeting Jesus was the paralysis of shame. We can imagine what was going on in his heart before he climbed that sycamore. It must have been quite a struggle – on one hand, a healthy curiosity and desire to know Jesus; on the other, the risk of appearing completely ridiculous. Zacchaeus was public figure, a man of power. He knew that, in trying to climb that tree, he would have become a laughingstock to all. Yet he mastered his shame, because the attraction of Jesus was more powerful. You know what happens when someone is so attractive that we fall in love with them: we end up ready to do things we would never have even thought of doing. Something similar took place in the heart of Zacchaeus, when he realized that Jesus was so important that he would do anything for him, since Jesus alone could pull him out of the mire of sin and discontent. The paralysis of shame did not have the upper hand. The Gospel tells us that Zacchaeus “ran ahead”, “climbed” the tree, and then, when Jesus called him, he “hurried down” (vv. 4, 6). He took a risk, he put his life on the line. For us too, this is the secret of joy: not to stifle a healthy curiosity, but to take a risk, because life is not meant to be tucked away. When it comes to Jesus, we cannot sit around waiting with arms folded; he offers us life – we can’t respond by thinking about it or “texting” a few words! Dear young friends, don’t be ashamed to bring everything to the Lord in confession, especially your weaknesses, your struggles and your sins. He will surprise you with his forgiveness and his peace. Don’t be afraid to say “yes” to him with all your heart, to respond generously and to follow him! Don’t let your soul grow numb, but aim for the goal of a beautiful love which also demands sacrifice. Say a firm “no” to the narcotic of success at any cost and the sedative of worrying only about yourself and your own comfort.
c). The grumbling of the crowd: After his small stature and the paralysis of shame, there was a third obstacle that Zacchaeus had to face. It was no longer an interior one, but was all around him. It was the grumbling of the crowd, who first blocked him and then criticized him: How could Jesus have entered his house, the house of a sinner! How truly hard it is to welcome Jesus, how hard it is to accept a “God who is rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4)! People will try to block you, to make you think that God is distant, rigid and insensitive, good to the good and bad to the bad. Instead, our heavenly Father “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good” (Mt 5:45). He demands of us real courage: The courage to be more powerful than evil by loving everyone, even our enemies. People may laugh at you because you believe in the gentle and unassuming power of mercy. But do not be afraid. Think of the motto of these days: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Mt 5:7). People may judge you to be dreamers, because you believe in a new humanity, one that rejects hatred between peoples, one that refuses to see borders as barriers and can cherish its own traditions without being self-centred or small-minded. Don’t be discouraged: with a smile and open arms, you proclaim hope and you are a blessing for our one human family, which here you represent so beautifully! That day the crowd judged Zacchaeus; they looked him over, up and down. But Jesus did otherwise: he gazed up at him (v. 5). Jesus looks beyond the faults and sees the person. He does not halt before bygone evil, but sees future good. His gaze remains constant, even when it is not met; it seeks the way of unity and communion.
Finally let us listen to the words that Jesus spoke to Zacchaeus: “Come down, for I must stay at your house today” (v. 5). Jesus extends the same invitation to you: “I must stay at your house today”. He wants to enter your homes, to dwell in your daily lives: in your studies, your first years of work, your friendships and affections, your hopes and dreams. How greatly he desires that you bring all this to him in prayer! How much he hopes that, in all the “contacts” and “chats” of each day, pride of place be given to the golden thread of prayer! How much he wants his word to be able to speak to you day after day, so that you can make his Gospel your own, so that it can serve as a compass for you on the highways of life! In asking to come to your house, Jesus calls you, as he did Zacchaeus, by name. Your name is precious to him. The name “Zacchaeus” would have made people back the think of the remembrance of God. Trust the memory of God: his memory is not a “hard disk” that “saves” and “archives” all our data, but a heart filled with tender compassion, one that finds joy in “erasing” in us every trace of evil. May Mary the Mother of mercy intercede for us now and forever. Have a terrific week ahead!
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