Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in
Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 498
Lectionary: 498
Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes,
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his gray hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.
He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
"At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws."
Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
"The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him."
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.
a man of advanced age and noble appearance,
was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork.
But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement,
he spat out the meat,
and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture,
as people ought to do who have the courage to reject the food
which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.
Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately,
because of their long acquaintance with him,
and urged him to bring meat of his own providing,
such as he could legitimately eat,
and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice
prescribed by the king;
in this way he would escape the death penalty,
and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.
But Eleazar made up his mind in a noble manner,
worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age,
the merited distinction of his gray hair,
and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood;
and so he declared that above all
he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God.
He told them to send him at once
to the abode of the dead, explaining:
"At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense;
many young people would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar
had gone over to an alien religion.
Should I thus pretend for the sake of a brief moment of life,
they would be led astray by me,
while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age.
Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men,
I shall never, whether alive or dead,
escape the hands of the Almighty.
Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now,
I will prove myself worthy of my old age,
and I will leave to the young a noble example
of how to die willingly and generously
for the revered and holy laws."
Eleazar spoke thus,
and went immediately to the instrument of torture.
Those who shortly before had been kindly disposed,
now became hostile toward him because what he had said
seemed to them utter madness.
When he was about to die under the blows,
he groaned and said:
"The Lord in his holy knowledge knows full well that,
although I could have escaped death,
I am not only enduring terrible pain in my body from this scourging,
but also suffering it with joy in my soul
because of my devotion to him."
This is how he died,
leaving in his death a model of courage
and an unforgettable example of virtue
not only for the young but for the whole nation.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7
R. (6b) The
Lord upholds me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. The Lord upholds me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. The Lord upholds me.
O LORD, how many are my adversaries!
Many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
R. The Lord upholds me.
But you, O LORD, are my shield;
my glory, you lift up my head!
When I call out to the LORD,
he answers me from his holy mountain.
R. The Lord upholds me.
When I lie down in sleep,
I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
I fear not the myriads of people
arrayed against me on every side.
R. The Lord upholds me.
Alleluia1 JN 4:10B
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
God loved us, and sent his Son
as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God loved us, and sent 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.”
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.”
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:
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.]
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)
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, LUKE 19:1-10
Weekday
(2 Maccabees 6:18-31; Psalm 3)
Weekday
(2 Maccabees 6:18-31; Psalm 3)
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.
Tuesday 19 November 2019
2 Maccabees 6:18-31. Psalm 3:2-7. Luke 19:1-10.
The Lord upholds me – Psalm 3:2-7
‘I must stay at your house today’
This interaction between Jesus and Zacchaeus gives me hope.
Zacchaeus was small and seemingly insignificant. He had no status or influence
in his community. In fact, his job as tax-collector made him despised. On the
positive side he was industrious, humble and showed initiative in climbing the
tree for a better view of Jesus. Jesus surprises and delights this lonely man,
first by calling him by his name and then by asking to dine at his house. He is
chosen!
The feeling of smallness and inadequacy can inhibit our
inspirations and energy. How can I see Jesus in a better way? Sycamore trees
are probably not the answer. Making a regular space in the day for time with
Jesus may lighten our load and bring us clearer direction, infusing our life
with motivation and new energy. We can then do small things with great love.
Saint Agnes of Assisi
Saint of the Day for November 19
(c. 1197 – November 16, 1253)
 |
| Saint Agnes of Assisi | France | gift of E. Royall Tyler |
Saint Agnes of Assisi’s Story
Born Caterina Offreducia, Agnes was the younger sister of Saint Clare,
and her first follower. When Caterina left home two weeks after Clare’s
departure, their family attempted to bring her back by force. They tried to
drag her out of the monastery, but her body suddenly became so heavy that
several knights could not budge it. Her uncle Monaldo tried to strike her but
was temporarily paralyzed. The knights then left Caterina and Clare in peace.
Saint Francis himself gave Clare’s sister the name Agnes, because she was
gentle like a young lamb.
Agnes matched her sister in devotion to prayer and in
willingness to endure the strict penances that characterized the Poor Ladies’
lives at San Damiano. In 1221, a group of Benedictine nuns in Monticelli near
Florence asked to become Poor Ladies. Saint Clare sent Agnes to become
abbess of that monastery. Agnes soon wrote a rather sad letter about how much
she missed Clare and the other nuns at San Damiano. After establishing other
monasteries of Poor Ladies in northern Italy, Agnes was recalled to San Damiano
in 1253, as Clare lay dying.
Three months later Agnes followed Clare in death, and was
canonized in 1753.
Reflection
God must love irony; the world is so full of it. In 1212, many
in Assisi surely felt that Clare and Agnes were wasting their lives and were
turning their backs on the world. In reality, their lives were tremendously
life-giving, and the world has been enriched by the example of these poor
contemplatives.
Lectio Divina: Luke 19:1-10
Lectio Divina
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
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.
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.
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."
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 where 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 collects 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. Since the 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 up 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 in 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 22:1;). 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 (Gen 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).
• 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. Since the 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 up 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 in 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 22:1;). 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 (Gen 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?
· 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)
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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