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Dear Friend, There are some
things that we want so badly that we are ready to take risks and pay the
price to have them. It might be something insignificant like seeing a movie
or a play, or concert, or having a newly-released book or computer programme,
but we feel we have to have it now. Do we desire to see God so much that we
are ready to take any risk or pay any price? Do we believe that God himself
desires to meet us? Are we open to encountering him? Have a weekend hungering
for God! Fr. Jude Botelho |
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Today’s first reading, from the heart of the
Book of Wisdom, written a century before Christ points out that salvation
doesn’t necessarily come primarily only to those who are focused against sin,
which is negative, but to those who are open to God’s love, which is
positive. It puts everything into proper perspective. Before the Lord the
whole universe is as a grain on a scale, very small and insignificant, or as
the morning dew. On the other hand God is almighty and all powerful. Yet this
mighty God cares and is concerned not only about the universe but about each
and every one of us and is merciful towards us. He gently corrects us and
leads us from evil back to him. How do we respond to this great love? In the
words of the psalmist we say: “I will bless your name forever more.” The first letter to the
Thessalonians had taught that the Day of the Lord would come like a thief and
catch some people off guard. Now some people were spreading the word that the
final days were already there. This gave rise to two sets of errors: One
group said, don’t worry, live it up! The other group gave way to despair
since the time was up and nothing could be done. In the second reading Paul exhorts the people not to be worried
or afraid. He said in so many words, ‘Leave the end to God and carry on with
life. Pray constantly to be worthy of His calling and carry on doing good.
Leave the rest to God.’ Antidote to Worry The Gospel today shows us clearly the attitude of God towards sinners.
Our God is a God of life and he does not desire the death of the sinner but
his repentance and his coming back to Him. We see this attitude illustrated
in how Jesus treats Zacchaeus the tax collector. Although his profession
would have made him very rich, it made him the obvious target for the hatred
of his fellow Jews. Since he worked for the Romans he was considered a
traitor by his own people. Zacchaeus thus led a lonely and isolated life in
spite of his wealth. He had heard of Jesus and his reputation in dealing with
prostitutes and sinners. Zacchaeus hoped and wanted to see Jesus. He hears
that Jesus is passing that way but his is lost in the crowds and is too short
to see Jesus. But he grabs the opportunity of seeing him by climbing a
sycamore tree to get a glimpse of Jesus. Perhaps the crowds are amused by
this short man, a respectable tax collector who is perched on the tree. But Jesus
does not pass by without noticing his effort. He stops, looks up and calls
Zacchaeus by name. “Zacchaeus, come down! Hurry, because I must stay at your
home today!” Zacchaeus, cannot believe his ears, Jesus is coming to his home
and wants to stay with him! The impossible has become possible! The crowds
are enraged because Jesus has invited himself to the house of a sinner, a
tax-collector, a traitor and fried of the Romans. Jesus is not bothered by
the reaction of the crowd. He does not see the sins but he sees the sinner
and reaches out. Jesus’ attitude touches Zacchaeus and the man who had been
collecting riches all his life now is ready to give to others, He no longer
needs his riches, he has found Jesus. It is worthwhile noting that Jesus does
not demand repentance before entering into Zacchaeus’ home. Jesus overlooks
the wrong doing in the hope that he will repent. He gave Zacchaeus the
opportunity to change in the atmosphere of unconditional acceptance. We
change not because God forces us to change but only when we experience His
unconditional acceptance even in our sins. Jesus does not say to us: “Change
and I will love you” but “I love you just as you are!” Turning bad to good For homework, I was required to make a drawing of a flight of stairs.
I finished it, and just as I was putting away the ink, a blot dropped right
in the middle of the picture. It was too late to draw another. I felt so
discouraged I burst into tears. My father hearing of the trouble, said
gently. “Don’t worry –the ink blot looks just like a black patch on the side
of a terrier –all you have to do is draw a dog around it.” I sketched a dog
around the ink blot. The next day, my picture was voted the best in the
class. –Often it only needs a little grit and imagination to turn the bad
into the good. Remember, a few things are as hopeless as they may seem at
first.” When things go wrong, I always remember the black-patched terrier. –
God can change our sinful moments into moments of grace and blessing if we
let him into our lives. Frank Michalic in ‘1000 Stories you can use’ “The story of Zacchaeus, the rich senior tax collector and his conversion suggests some divine link between salvation and that which is lost? It is not every day that a senior tax collector climbs a tree like a schoolboy in order to see Jesus passing be, making a public show of himself while Jesus is visiting Jericho! It is from his perch in the sycamore that the Lord’s grace plucks Zacchaeus, with humour and gentleness: “Come down, hurry!” Zacchaeus respond promptly to the divine impatience. He hears the words which do away with his life as an outcast and fill him with joy: I must stay at your house today. Today you too can become a son of Abraham! This ‘today’ of salvation Jesus no doubt explained at length to Zacchaeus in his house, while the people of Jericho complained outside. The offer of grace, the decision to accept it by the obedience of faith, this is the ‘today’ of God and of mankind. - Glenstal Bible Missal “Losing and finding
God” The children of a very wealthy family were put in the care
of a well-qualified nanny, as well as a host of other servants the family
employed. When adverse circumstances impacted the family’s finances, they
moved into a slightly smaller home, but kept the family’s nanny. Eventually,
however, the family’s financial situation became severe enough that they had
to let the beloved nanny go. Then one evening after the father returned home
from a day of great financial anxiety and business worry, his little girl climbed
up on his knees and threw her arms around his neck. “I love you papa,” she
said, trying to soothe the weariness she intuitively perceived in him.”I love
you too, darling,” the father replied, glad to have such a warm welcome home.
The little girl then said, “Papa, will you make a promise?” The father said,
“What is it?” She said, “Papa, please promise me that you won’t get rich
again. You never came to see us when you were rich, but now we can see you
every night and hug you and kiss you and climb on your knee. Please don’t get
rich again! When this man was wealthy, his family had lost him, when he lost
his wealth, his family found him. –In today’s gospel we have a similar story:
when Zacchaeus was wealthy, he had lost his God, but when he parted with his
wealth, he found his God. John Rose in ‘John’s Sunday Homilies’ May we seek God and find him in all things and in all people! Fr. Jude
Botelho |
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