Posted on 11/02/2019 10:35:27 PM PDT by Salvation
St. Catharine of Bologna, On the Seven Spiritual Weapons
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Amen. "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28) "Blessed are you among women, |
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Wisdom 11:22-12:2 II: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2
1 He entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich.
3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature.
4 So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today."
6 So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."
8 And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold."
9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."
Jesus seeks us, sees us, and saves us. In repentance, we give alms and find joy even when the whole world is against us.
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Old Calendar: Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Mt 23:8-12)."
The feast of St. Martin de Porres, which is ordinarily celebrated today, is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.
Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.
Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10. This reading states that this is a people who had wandered from the way of belief in God. The prophet chastises and threatens the priests of the temple.
The second reading is from the first Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13. St. Paul is especially grateful that the Thessalonians received the word as from God, not men. The preacher of the word of God is well aware of his responsibility in proclaiming and preaching that word for he asks in the prayer before the gospel that the Lord will cleanse his heart and lips as he did Isaiah's for he is aware that it is God's word that is to be preached, not his own, or on his own terms. Excerpted from A Celebrants Guide to the New Sacramentary - A Cycle by Kevin W. Irwin
The Gospel is from the Gospel of Matthew 23:1-12. As this picture of the Pharisees is painted by none other than Christ himself, we can have no doubt but that the description given is the truth and nothing but the truth. In spite of their great knowledge of "the law and the prophets"the divine revelation God had given to the Chosen Peopleand of their many strict observances of that law, they were not pleasing to God. All their good works and all their learning were spoiled by the vice of pride which made them seek earthly glory for themselves and prevented them from giving glory or thanks to God. Their religion was an empty external cloak which they used to attract attention and honor to themselves. Internally, they were so full of their own importance that there was no room for God in their hearts.
Our divine Lord warned his disciples, and through them all of us, to avoid that pernicious vice of pride. It should not be hard for any true Christian to avoid this vice. We know that every material and spiritual talent we have has been given us by God, so we must give glory to God for any gifts we possess and not to ourselves. St. Paul reminds us of this fact when he asks us: "What have you that you have not received, and if you have received it why glory in it as if it were your own?" We owe everything we have to God and we should use all the gifts he has given us for his honor and glory, and for that purpose alone.
Do we always do this? Are we never tempted to look down on our less fortunate brothers? If we have got on well in our temporal affairs do we attribute our success to our own skill and hard work or do we thank God for the opportunities he gave to us and not to others. If, aided by God's grace, we are keeping his commandments, do we show contempt for those who give in to temptations which we did not have to meet? The best of us can profit from an examination of conscience along these lines. If our external observance of the Christian rule of life is motivated solely by love and gratitude to God all is well. But if our hearts are far from God and our motives in our religious behavior is self-glorification, we are in a dangerous position. The sinners and harlots of Christ's day repented and were received into his kingdom; the Pharisees, unable to repent, were left outside.
Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today salvation has come to this house. (Luke 19:9)
Todays Gospel paints a vivid picture of Zacchaeus the tax collector—wealthy, despised, and also very short—trying unsuccessfully to see through a crowd. He climbs a tree just to get a look at Jesus. It must have been an astonishing and amusing sight to see such a prominent person doing something so silly. You can just imagine the grin on Jesus face as he looks up and sees Zacchaeus irrepressible, childlike enthusiasm. Then that enthusiasm turns to joy when Jesus invites himself to Zacchaeus house. Inspired by Jesus warm words of acceptance, Zacchaeus promises to give half of his wealth to the poor and more than repay the people he has extorted.
So did Zacchaeus follow up on this bold promise? Well never know since he is not mentioned again.
After Jesus moved on, the hard work would have begun for Zacchaeus. If he gave away his money, he would have to learn how to live with less. He would have to fight the temptation to return to his dishonest methods of collecting taxes. He would have to earn the trust and friendship of his fellow townsfolk. Surely all of this was less fun than that initial life-altering encounter with Jesus. He may have had trouble maintaining his enthusiasm.
Its okay to not always feel excited about life as a follower of Jesus. Our faith journey can be like a long, successful marriage that starts out with the magic and passion of an early romance and develops into something calmer but deeper and more meaningful. Theres no getting around the fact that our relationship with Jesus requires hard work sometimes. But its good to know that he is always with us, ready to give us the grace we need.
Our attempts to follow Jesus dont have to be big, splashy gestures like Zacchaeus initial response. Change will be gradual, and there will be setbacks, but with Jesus help, our efforts will bear fruit.
Jesus, help me to follow you with childlike trust.
Wisdom 11:2212:2
Psalm 145: 1-2, 8-11, 13-14
2 Thessalonians 1:112:2
THE STORY OF ZACCHAEUS, THE CHIEF TAX COLLECTOR
(Biblical reflection on the 31st Ordinary Sunday [Year C] 3 November 2019)
Gospel Reading: Luke 19:1-10
First Reading: Wisdom 11:22-12:2; Psalms: Psalm 145:1-2,8-11,13-14; Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2
Scripture Text:
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man name Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And He sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to Him, Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today. So he made haste and came down and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner. And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore if fourfold. And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost. (Luke 19:1-10 RSV)
Believing God was their king, the Jewish people thought their tax money should pay for the upkeep of Gods house, the Temple. Unfortunately, the Roman emperor did not agree with them and used Jewish tax money for building projects throughout the Roman empire. These projects included not only roads and acqueducts in distant lands but also pagan temples to Roman gods; therefore, most pious Jews were greatly upset over how the emperor was using their money.
To make matters worse, the emperor also claimed to be a god. This made paying taxes even more objectionable for most Jews because to do so willingly was just like worshipping a false god, a clear violation of the first commandment.
Oftentimes, Roman officials awarded contracts to foreigners who bid the highest for the privilege of collecting taxes in certain regions. The foreigners then hired local men to do the actual collecting. The Jews called these tax collectors publicans and considered any Jew who became a publican the worst kind of sinner because he was helping the emperor steal from God. Other Jews would have nothing to do with such a traitor.
Since a publican had to pay any taxes not collected, he often collected more than he was supposed to, anticipating that some people in his territory would not pay him. The publican either pocketed anything left over after meeting his quota or used the excess to bribe his bosses into giving him a more lucrative territory in which to collect. Thus Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in todays Gospel, may have bribed his way to his position and then accepted bribes from the publicans who worked from him.
Zacchaeus response to Jesus is interesting. According to Jewish law, anyone who steals from someone else and then voluntarily admits it and offers to pay restitution, must pay back what he stole plus twenty percent. The penalty was more if the person did not admit it but was found guilty (Leviticus 6:5; Numbers 5:7). By offering to pay back fourfold and promising to give half of what he owns to the poor, Zacchaeus goes beyond what the law expects of him and shows how sincere he really is.
Not only does Jesus say He will dine with Zacchaeus but He also calls him a son of Abraham, a fancy way of identifying him as a faithful Jew. Jesus was willing to forget about Zacchaeus past and wipe his slate clean, giving Zacchaeus a chance of a new beginning.
For Reflection: Do you forgive and forget as Jesus did or do you have the memory of an elephant? Ask Jesus to teach you to forgive as He forgave Zacchaeus so you can give someone a chance to start anew.
(Adapted from Jerome J. Sabatowich, Cycling Through the Gospels Gospel Commentaries for Cycles A, B, and C, pages 330-331.)
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for the great gift of salvation You have given me. May I never take this gift for granted. May I never become complacent in my love for you or in my service for other people. Today I want to make a return to You, dear Lord, for all that You have done for me. Amen.
Daily Marriage Tip for November 3, 2019:
In todays Gospel, Zacchaeus is surprised when Jesus says He will be coming to stay at his house. What would Jesus find if He came to stay at your house today? How can you make your home a welcoming place for Jesus?
Pastor’s Column
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 3, 2019
You and I live in Jericho and Christ is passing by. Last week we heard about a lowly tax collector who prostrated himself on the ground. His only prayer was, O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And we have another tax-collector again this Sunday (Luke 19:1-10).
Our friend Zacchaeus has a lot of strikes against him. He is not a well-liked man in town—it goes with the job. He wants to get a glimpse of Jesus but the crowd is too thick. And the worst part of all – Zacchaeus is really SHORT. But for Zacchaeus being short is actually his greatest asset – he has to do something or he’s not going to see or hear anything … so he climbs a tree, which must have looked ridiculous! He must have also attracted a lot of attention. Most importantly, he attracted Jesus’ attention.
Most people in this world tend to see life from a Jericho, or earthly perspective. We can’t help it! We’re short, after all, so to speak. What we need to do is to find a tree to climb so we can really see what is going on. If we live and see and act only in Jericho, only from an earthly perspective, we are going to miss all the action. Christ is liable to walk right through our life and we won’t recognize him or the opportunity of the present moment.
When we listen to the Church, when we listen to the scriptures, we are like Zacchaeus climbing a tree, and we receive the grace to see what the vast majority of people who live only on an earthly plane cannot possibly see – we catch a glimpse of what life is meant to be all about. Listening to the Lord allows us to gain the divine perspective in our lives. From that tree, that vantage point, we are able to see where Christ is going. We see who he is. We see where we are going. We find purpose in life. We discover that we are loved. We discover that, yes, Christ really does want to come to my house today.
What tree is God calling you to climb? He wants you to gain the divine perspective on what’s happening in our world right now. I believe we are very, very off track in this world – economically, spiritually, morally because too many people don’t bother to listen to God anymore.
This world, in general, may or may not be on the wrong track but my life does not have to be. For we all live in Jericho. I can choose to stay on the flat plane and do and see what everyone else does and sees; and nothing will change and Christ will pass by. Or I can be like Zacchaeus; I can take the risk. I can climb that tree God is calling me to climb. I may just gain the divine perspective in the process.
Father Gary
Our Lord is a lover of souls, the Liturgy shows us today. As we sing in todays Psalm, He is slow to anger and compassionate toward all that He has made.
In His mercy, our First Reading tells us, He overlooks our sins and ignorance, giving us space that we might repent and not perish in our sinfulness (see Wisdom 12:10; 2 Peter 3:9).
In Jesus, He has become the Savior of His children, coming Himself to save the lost (see Isaiah 63:89; Ezekiel 34:16).
In the figure of Zacchaeus in todays Gospel, we have a portrait of a lost soul. He is a tax collector, by profession a sinner excluded from Israels religious life. Not only that, he is a chief tax collector. Worse still, he is a rich man who has apparently gained his living by fraud.
But Zacchaeus faith brings salvation to his house. He expresses his faith in his fervent desire to see Jesus, even humbling himself to climb a tree just to watch Him pass by. While those of loftier religious stature react to Jesus with grumbling, Zacchaeus receives Him with joy.
Zacchaeus is not like the other rich men Jesus meets or tells stories about (see Luke 12:1621; 16:1931; 18:1825). He repents, vowing to pay restitution to those he has cheated and to give half of his money to the poor.
By his humility he is exalted, made worthy to welcome the Lord into his house. By his faith he is justified, made a descendant of Abraham (see Romans 4:1617).
As He did last week, Jesus is again using a tax collector to show us the faith and humility we need to obtain salvation.
We are also called to seek Jesus daily with repentant hearts. And we should make our own Pauls prayer in todays Epistle: that God might make us worthy of His calling, that by our lives we might give glory to the name of Jesus.
Luke 19: 1-10
He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So, he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
Introductory Prayer: Oh God, thank you for allowing me to come into your presence. Your love enlarges my soul. I long to see your face! I come to this prayer with a thirst to just be in your presence, relax under your loving gaze. May my presence here be an expression of my love for you.
Petition: Lord, help me to overcome obstacles in my spiritual life.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, what joy you received through Zacchaeus conversion. He responded fully to your grace. At times, I can drag my feet even when I feel you calling me to another step forward in my spiritual life. Help me to be generous, so that other souls will see how wonderful it is to follow you!
Resolution: I will strive to overcome all obstacles to my prayer life today.
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