NOVEMBER 20, 2018 : TUESDAY OF THE THIRTY-THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 498

Reading 1RV 3:1-6, 14-22

I, John, heard the Lord saying to me:
"To the angel of the Church in Sardis, write this:

"'The one who has the seven spirits of God
and the seven stars says this: "I know your works,
that you have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Be watchful and strengthen what is left, which is going to die,
for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God.
Remember then how you accepted and heard; keep it, and repent.
If you are not watchful, I will come like a thief,
and you will never know at what hour I will come upon you.
However, you have a few people in Sardis
who have not soiled their garments;
they will walk with me dressed in white,
because they are worthy.

"'The victor will thus be dressed in white,
and I will never erase his name from the book of life
but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my Father
and of his angels.

"'Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

"To the angel of the Church in Laodicea, write this:

"'The Amen, the faithful and true witness,
the source of God's creation, says this:
"I know your works;
I know that you are neither cold nor hot.
I wish you were either cold or hot.
So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold,
I will spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, 'I am rich and affluent and have no need of anything,'
and yet do not realize that you are wretched,
pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich,
and white garments to put on
so that your shameful nakedness may not be exposed,
and buy ointment to smear on your eyes so that you may see.
Those whom I love, I reprove and chastise.
Be earnest, therefore, and repent.

"'Behold, I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
then I will enter his house and dine with him,
and he with me.
I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne,
as I myself first won the victory
and sit with my Father on his throne.

"'Whoever has ears ought to hear
what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Responsorial PsalmPS 15:2-3A, 3BC-4AB, 5

R. (Rev. 3: 21) I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
He who walks blamelessly and does justice;
who thinks the truth in his heart
and slanders not with his tongue.
R. I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
Who harms not his fellow man,
nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor;
By whom the reprobate is despised,
while he honors those who fear the LORD.
R.  I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.
Who lends not his money at usury
and accepts no bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
shall never be disturbed.
R. I will seat the victor beside me on my throne.

Alleluia1 JN 4:10B

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God loved us, and send his Son
as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 19:1-10

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, 
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature. 
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, 
"Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house." 
And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, 
"He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." 
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
"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."
And Jesus said to him,
"Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost."

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Meditation: "Zacchaeus received Jesus joyfully"

What would you do if Jesus knocked on your door and said, "I must stay at your home today"? Would you be excited or embarrassed? Jesus often "dropped-in" at unexpected times and he often visited the "uninvited" - the poor, the lame, and even public sinners like Zacchaeus, the tax collector! Tax collectors were despised and treated as outcasts, no doubt because they over-charged people and accumulated great wealth at the expense of others. 

Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector and was much hated by all the people. Why would Jesus single him out for the honor of staying at his home? Zacchaeus needed God's merciful love and forgiveness. In his encounter with Jesus he found more than he imagined possible. He shows the depth of his repentance by deciding to give half of his goods to the poor and to use the other half for making restitution for fraud. Zacchaeus' testimony included more than words. His change of heart resulted in a change of life, a change that the whole community could experience as genuine.

Faith welcomes Christ in our heart and home
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) urges us to climb the sycamore tree like Zacchaeus that we might see Jesus and embrace his cross for our lives:

Zacchaeus climbed away from the crowd and saw Jesus without the crowd getting in his way. The crowd laughs at the lowly, to people walking the way of humility, who leave the wrongs they suffer in God’s hands and do not insist on getting back at their enemies. The crowd laughs at the lowly and says, 'You helpless, miserable clod, you cannot even stick up for yourself and get back what is your own.' The crowd gets in the way and prevents Jesus from being seen. The crowd boasts and crows when it is able to get back what it owns. It blocks the sight of the one who said as he hung on the cross, 'Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing... He ignored the crowd that was getting in his way. He instead climbed a sycamore tree, a tree of 'silly fruit.' As the apostle says, 'We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block indeed to the Jews, [now notice the sycamore] but folly to the Gentiles.' Finally, the wise people of this world laugh at us about the cross of Christ and say, '“What sort of minds do you people have, who worship a crucified God?' What sort of minds do we have? They are certainly not your kind of mind. 'The wisdom of this world is folly with God.' No, we do not have your kind of mind. You call our minds foolish. Say what you like, but for our part, let us climb the sycamore tree and see Jesus. The reason you cannot see Jesus is that you are ashamed to climb the sycamore tree.

Let Zacchaeus grasp the sycamore tree, and let the humble person climb the cross. That is little enough, merely to climb it. We must not be ashamed of the cross of Christ, but we must fix it on our foreheads, where the seat of shame is. Above where all our blushes show is the place we must firmly fix that for which we should never blush. As for you, I rather think you make fun of the sycamore, and yet that is what has enabled me to see Jesus. You make fun of the sycamore, because you are just a person, but 'the foolishness of God is wiser than men.'[Sermon 174.3.]

The Lord Jesus is always ready to make his home with each one of us. Do you make room for him in your heart and in every area of your life?

"Lord Jesus, come and stay with me. Fill my life with your peace, my home with your presence, and my heart with your praise. Help me to show kindness, mercy, and goodness to all, even to those who cause me ill-will or harm."

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: To see Christ, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)

"Come and let us see what was the method of Zacchaeus's conversion. He desired to see Jesus and therefore climbed into a sycamore tree, and so a seed of salvation sprouted within him. Christ saw this with the eyes of deity. Looking up, he also saw Zacchaeus with the eyes of humanity, and since it was his purpose for all to be saved, he extends his gentleness to him. To encourage him, he says, 'Come down quickly.' Zacchaeus searched to see Christ, but the multitude prevented him, not so much that of the people but of his sins. He was short of stature, not merley in a bodily point of view but also spiritually. He could not see him unless he were raised up from the earth and climbed into the sycamore, by which Christ was about to pass. The story contains a puzzle. In no other way can a person see Christ and believe in him except by climbing up into the sycamore, by making foolish his earthly members of fornication, uncleanness, etc." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 127)

www.dailyscripture.net

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, LUKE 19:1-10
Weekday
(Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22; Psalm 15)

KEY VERSE: "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham" (v. 9).
TO KNOW: Only Luke tells the story of Zacchaeus the tax-collector whose determination enabled him to find salvation in Jesus. Zacchaeus' willingness to change his life was contrasted with the rich official who was unable to renounce his possessions and follow Jesus (Lk 18:18-23). As Jesus passed through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem, Zacchaeus tried to get a glimpse of him. Because he was short in stature, he could not see over the crowds, and so he perched atop a sycamore tree. When Jesus invited himself to the tax collector’s house there was murmuring in the crowd about Jesus' habit of dining with sinners. As the chief tax-collector, Zacchaeus had the opportunity to acquire more revenue than he was entitled to receive, but he promised to make restitution for everything that he had gained by unjust means. He even went beyond what the law demanded by promising to give half of his earnings to the poor. Jesus saw this little man as a true "son of Abraham," worthy of God's salvation.
TO LOVE: Am I willing to go out on a limb to see Jesus?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to use my earthly goods to serve the poor.

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Tuesday 20 November 2018

Apocalypse 3:1-6, 14-22. Psalm 14(15):2-5. Luke 19:1-10.

The one who is victorious I will sit beside me on my throne – Psalm 14(15):2-5.

‘Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.’

Zacchaeus was small. Smallness is also a spiritual quality – poverty of spirit, meekness, purity of heart, a view of oneself before God which draws him to us as it draws us to him.

As Zacchaeus rather hesitantly approaches Jesus, Jesus overwhelms him with an invitation he can’t refuse. Zacchaeus’ small world is broken open.

Like Zacchaeus, we can be interested in Jesus, and simply be content with a glimpse. Jesus isn’t interested in a passing glance – he desires to transform lives and the whole world. Our hesitations are overcome by the spontaneous joy of the Good News. Can we recognise the grace of God breaking into our small worlds? Can we welcome Jesus into our house?

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Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne

Saint of the Day for November 20

(August 29, 1769 – November 18, 1852)

 

Mosaic of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne in the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis, MO | photo by Andrew Balet

Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne’s Story

Born in Grenoble, France, of a family that was among the new rich, Rose learned political skills from her father and a love of the poor from her mother. The dominant feature of her temperament was a strong and dauntless will, which became the material—and the battlefield—of her holiness. She entered the Visitation of Mary convent at 19, and remained despite family opposition. As the French Revolution broke, the convent was closed, and she began taking care of the poor and sick, opened a school for homeless children, and risked her life helping priests in the underground.

When the situation cooled, Rose personally rented the former convent, now a shambles, and tried to revive its religious life. The spirit was gone, however, and soon there were only four nuns left. They joined the infant Society of the Sacred Heart, whose young superior, Mother Madeleine Sophie Barat, would be her lifelong friend.

In a short time Rose was a superior and supervisor of the novitiate and a school. But since hearing tales of missionary work in Louisiana as a little girl, her ambition was to go to America and work among the Indians. At 49, she thought this would be her work. With four nuns, she spent 11 weeks at sea en route to New Orleans, and seven weeks more on the Mississippi to St. Louis. She then met one of the many disappointments of her life. The bishop had no place for them to live and work among Native Americans. Instead, he sent her to what she sadly called “the remotest village in the U.S.,” St. Charles, Missouri. With characteristic drive and courage, she founded the first free school for girls west of the Mississippi.

It was a mistake. Though Rose was as hardy as any of the pioneer women in the wagons rolling west, cold and hunger drove them out—to Florissant, Missouri, where she founded the first Catholic Indian school, adding others in the territory.

“In her first decade in America, Mother Duchesne suffered practically every hardship the frontier had to offer, except the threat of Indian massacre—poor lodging, shortages of food, drinking water, fuel and money, forest fires and blazing chimneys, the vagaries of the Missouri climate, cramped living quarters and the privation of all privacy, and the crude manners of children reared in rough surroundings and with only the slightest training in courtesy” (Louise Callan, R.S.C.J., Philippine Duchesne).

Finally at age 72, retired and in poor health, Rose got her lifelong wish. A mission was founded at Sugar Creek, Kansas, among the Potawatomi and she was taken along. Though she could not learn their language, they soon named her “Woman-Who-Prays-Always.” While others taught, she prayed. Legend has it that Native American children sneaked behind her as she knelt and sprinkled bits of paper on her habit, and came back hours later to find them undisturbed. Rose Philippine died in 1852, at the age of 83, and was canonized in 1988. The Liturgical Feast of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne is November 18.

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Reflection

Divine grace channeled Mother Duchesne’s iron will and determination into humility and selflessness, and to a desire not to be made superior. Still, even saints can get involved in silly situations. In an argument with her over a minor change in the sanctuary, a priest threatened to remove the tabernacle. She patiently let herself be criticized by younger nuns for not being progressive enough. For 31 years, she hewed to the line of a dauntless love and an unshakable observance of her religious vows.

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LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 19:1-10

Lectio Divina: 

 Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Ordinary Time

1) Opening prayer

Father of all that is good,
keep us faithful in serving you,
for to serve you is our lasting joy.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

2) Gospel reading - Luke 19:1-10

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town and suddenly a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance. He was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He kept trying to see where Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see Him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way.
When Jesus reached the spot He looked up and spoke to him, "Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I am to stay at your house today."
And he hurried down and welcomed Him joyfully.
They all complained when they saw what was happening. "He has gone to stay at a sinner's house," they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, "Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount."
And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man has come to seek out and save what was lost."

3) Reflection

• In today’s Gospel, we  reach the end of  a long journey which began in chapter 9 (Lk 9, 51). During the journey, it has not been easy to know twhere Jesus   is going.  Now , the geography is clear . Jesus reaches Jericho, the city of the palm trees, in the Valley of the Jordan. This is the last stop of  pilgrims before going up toward Jerusalem. He went to Jericho where the long road of  exodus  in the desert ended.  Jesus’ exodus has also  ended. In entering Jericho, Jesus meets a blind man who wanted to see Him (Lk 18, 35-43). Now, going out of the city, He meets Zacchaeus, a tax collector. He also wants to see him. Both the blind man and  the Publican are excluded from Jewish society. Both  bother and disturb the people. The blind man disturbed people because he was shouting  to Jesus. The Publican incurs people’s hostility because he colloects taxes. Both are accepted by Jesus.
• Luke 19, 1-2:  Jesus enters  Jericho and crosses the city where he sees “a man whose name was Zacchaeus, head of the tax collectors and a rich man”. The tax collector was the person who collected the public taxes on selling and buying of merchandise.  As head tax collector, Zacchaeus was closely linked to the Roman government which dominated the Israel. t. Since rhe more religious Jews  believed their king to be God, they regarded Rome’s dominion as ungodly. Anyone who collaborates with the Romans sins against God. Thus, the soldiers who served in the Roman army and  tax collectors,like Zacchaeus were excluded and avoided because they were considered traitorous  and impure.
• Luke 19, 3-4: The attitude of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus. Being small, he ran ahead and climbed on a tree and waited for Jesus to go by. He really had a great desire to see Jesus. Before, in the parable of poor Lazarus and  the rich man  (Lk 16, 19-31), Jesus had said that it was truly  difficult for a rich person to be converted.  However, in Zaccheus, we see a rich man who does not close himself up in his riches. Zacchaeus wants something more. Certainly, an adult who  climbs  a tree does not care much about the opinion of others. Something more important moves him. He wants to open the door for poor Lazarus.
• Luke 19, 5-7: Attitude of Jesus, reaction of the people and of Zacchaeus. Seeing Zacchaeus on the tree, Jesus does not ask, nor does He demand, anything. He only responds to the desire of the man and says “Zacchaeus come down. Hurry, because I am to stay at your home today!” Zacchaeus gets down and receives Jesus, in his house, with great joy. All complained “He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house!” Luke says that all complained.  Jesus  is alone in His attitude of accepting the excluded, especially  Roman collaborators . But Jesus does not care about the criticism. He goes to the house of Zacchaeus and defends him from the criticism. Rather than calling him sinner, He calls him “son of Abraham” (Lk 19, 9).
• Luke 19, 8: Decision of Zacchaeus. “Look, Lord, I am going to give half of my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount!” This is the conversion produced in Zacchaeus because of the acceptance that he received from Jesus. To give back four times was what the law prescribed to do in certain cases (Ex 21, 37; 22, 3). To give half of my possessions to the poor was the novelty which contact with Jesus produced in him. In fact, sharing was taking place.
• Luke 19, 9-10: Final word of Jesus. “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a son of Abraham”. The interpretation of the Law by means of the ancient tradition excluded the tax collectors from the race of Abraham. Jesus says that He comes to seek and save what was lost. The Kingdom is for all. Nobody can be excluded.   By denouncing unjust divisions, Jesus opens  a space for a new way of living  directed by the  values of truth, justice and love.
• Son of Abraham. "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a son of Abraham!” By being a descendant of Abraham, all nations of earth will be blessed (Gn 12, 3; 22, 18). It was very important for Luke’s communities, formed by Christians of both Jewish and pagan origin,  that Jesus calls Zacchaeus “son of Abraham”. For we find the confirmation that in Jesus, God was fulfilling the promises made to Abraham, addressed to all nations..Gentiles are also sons of Abraham and heirs of the promises. Jesus accepts those who were not accepted. He offers a place to those who do not have it. He receives as brothers and sisters people whom the religion and the government excluded. Here is a list of those outcasts in  who found acceptance in Jesus: :
- immoral: the prostitutes and the sinners (Mt 21,31-32; Mk 2,15; Lk 7, 37-50; Jn 8, 2-11),
- heretic: pagans and Samaritans (Lk 7, 2-10; 17,16; Mk 7, 24-30; Jn 4, 7-42),
- impure: lepers and possessed (Mt 8, 2-4; Lk 17,12-14; Mk 1, 25-26),
- marginalized: women, children and the sick (Mk 1,32; Mt 8,16;19,13-15; Lk 8, 2-3),
- fighters: publicans and soldiers (Lk 18, 9-14;19,1-10);
- the poor: the people of the place and the poor who had no power (Mt 5, 3; Lk 6, 20; Mt 11,25-26).

4) Personal questions

• How does our community accept people who are despised and marginalized? Can we, like Jesus,  perceive people’s problems  and  give them  attention?
· How do we perceive salvation  entering into our house and  our community? The welcoming tenderness of Jesus produced a total change in the life of Zacchaeus. Is the tenderness of our community producing some change in the neighborhood? Where?

5) Concluding prayer

With all my heart I seek you,
do not let me stray from your commandments.
In my heart, I treasure your promises
and seek to avoid sinning against you. (Ps 119,10-11)

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