Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 498
Reading 1
Revelation 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 Psalm
Psalm 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.
Alleluia
1 John 4:10B
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God loved us, and sent his Son
as expiation for our sins.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Luke 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.”
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Desire of the Heart
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. Luke 19:1–3
Once again, our Lord reaches out to someone who comes to Him in humility and need. Zaccheaus was a wealthy man, materially speaking. But interiorly he was poor and in need. And it was this spiritual poverty he was experiencing that led him to seek out Jesus with much determination.
Zacchaeus probably never imagined that day that Jesus would offer to come to his home. Clearly, he climbed the tree to get a glimpse of Jesus because he felt a strong desire to know our Lord. Since he was physically wealthy, it seems clear that he no longer was satisfied in life simply because of a comfortable lifestyle. Something was missing, and he couldn’t help but know that Jesus held the answer. So Zacchaeus did what some may have thought unusual. He climbed a tree to be able to see Jesus.
Why did Jesus stop, look up at Zacchaeus, and call him down, stating that He was going to stay at Zacchaeus’ home? It’s because Jesus was able to sense the need within the heart of Zacchaeus. Hearts that are poor, in need, and open are very attractive to Jesus. He never misses the opportunity to come to humble souls like this.
Zacchaeus responds to our Lord immediately by promising to right the wrongs he has done in the past. He promises to give away half of his possessions and to repay anyone he has extorted fourfold. This reveals the authenticity of Zacchaeus’ heart.
As Jesus passes by you, what does He sense? Is He drawn to your heart? Is He drawn to you because of your interior disposition of humility and need? It is easy for us to go through life acting as if we have it all together. We can put on a facade that portrays an attitude of strength and success. But Jesus rarely comes to the soul who expresses little need. If we want to draw Jesus to ourselves, then we must acknowledge the poverty within ourselves, even if we are materially wealthy and successful in a worldly way. Every one of us must humble ourselves like Zacchaeus by knowing that Jesus is the only answer in life.
Reflect, today, upon the fact that you and you alone have the ability to draw Jesus to yourself. You can do this by looking at your need for Him. Do not hide it. Climb the figurative tree by which you will be able to look for Jesus and, more importantly, by which Jesus can see your manifest desire for Him. As you express your need for Him, know that He will be compelled, by His unshakable love and mercy, to come to you and to stay with you in the house of your soul. And when He does, be ready and willing to abandon all that has been a hindrance to your meeting with Christ in the past.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
SEEING THE BLINDNESS
“Today salvation has come to this house.” —Luke 19:9
Salvation came to Zacchaeus’ house when Jesus, the Savior, came to his house and Zacchaeus responded: “I give half my belongings, Lord, to the poor. If I have defrauded anyone in the least, I pay him back fourfold” (Lk 19:8). Zacchaeus accepted Jesus and salvation by loving the poor, making radical changes in his lifestyle, and admitting that he may have defrauded others.
When we sin, we become spiritually blind and even blind to being blind. Nevertheless, Zacchaeus inferred that he may have been blind to injustices that he had done. This is a great grace when someone prays to be cleansed of their unknown faults (Ps 19:13) and thereby admits at least the possibility of spiritual blindness. St. Paul had this grace when he stated: “Mind you, I have nothing on my conscience. But that does not mean that I am declaring myself innocent” (1 Cor 4:4). Paul did not rule out the possibility of spiritual blindness. In contrast, the church of Laodicea did not realize how wretched, pitiable, poor, naked, and blind it was (Rv 3:17). This church needed to have its sight restored by smearing the ointment of repentance on its eyes (see Rv 3:18). However, like some of the Pharisees, the church of Laodicea said: “But we see,” and their sin remained (Jn 9:41).
Eventually, blindness to spiritual blindness can become the unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Spirit (Mt 12:31). How can we ask forgiveness when we’ve lost the sense of sin! With Zacchaeus, let us admit the possibility of spiritual blindness in our lives. This is part of accepting salvation into our houses.
Prayer: Father, open the “eyes of [our] hearts” (Eph 1:18, RSV-CE) and of all who read this.
Promise: “I will never erase his name from the book of the living, but will acknowledge him in the presence of My Father.” —Rv 3:5
Praise: When Thomas decided to forgive, his elevated blood pressure went down.
Reflection 3
Living His Word A Day At A Time
In the Zacchaeus account, Luke has shown how Jesus cared for those in need and for those rejected by society. The name Zacchaeus means "pure one." This man was anything but pure, until he met Jesus.
Zacchaeus, being short, climbs a sycamore-fig tree which is like a short oak tree. Jesus takes the initiative, calling for Zacchaeus. The text does not discuss how Jesus knows his name, but Jesus announces that it “is necessary” for him to stay with this eager spectator, which reveals Jesus' acceptance of Zacchaeus; thus it stuns the crowd.
He receives Jesus with joy, which suggests messianic joy. He promises that half of his assets are going to those in need. In addition, anyone who was robbed will be paid back a fourfold rate (Ex 22:1). Normal restitution added only 20 percent. He does not have to sell everything to receive Jesus' praise. His heart is in the right place when it comes to possessions.
Jesus announces, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man is also a son of Abraham. Zacchaeus's access to God's blessing has been gained through faith, like Abraham’s. Not only that, but Jesus' mission has been fulfilled, "The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Prayers
My attentive Lord, You are always aware of every heart that longs for You. You never ignore those who desire You in their life. Please help me to see my own interior needs and struggles and to see You as the only source of fulfillment in life. I commit myself to seeking You out, dear Lord. And as You come to me, I commit to abandon all that has kept me from You in the past. Jesus, I trust in You.
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 Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 323: Your Unique Mission
God gives to each person a unique mission. Some are called to very public lives; others are called to quiet and simple lives. Some are called to use their minds in powerful ways; others are called to use their hearts in special ways, but each person has a unique mission from God. What is your mission? Seeking to know what the Lord asks of you is essential to your journey of holiness and, therefore, happiness. When fully embraced, this mission will bring abundant fulfillment to your life because of one simple fact: every mission is a mission of Mercy. The struggle many people have is that they embark on selfish endeavors in life, failing to commit all their energies to the work of the Lord. The Lord wants you to work day and night on His mission. This is not too much to ask. In fact, it’s what you were made for and the only way to obtain what you truly desire. His mission will certainly include moments of fun and rest, work and struggle, laughter and tears. It will also require a complete death to yourself. But it’s worth it! Seek the mission God has given you and embrace it with all your heart. If you do, the Mercy of God will pour forth through your life (See Diary #1567).
Reflect, today, upon this simple question: What is my mission in life? It may come to you slowly, over time, taking twists and turns as you go. But never stop seeking to serve our Lord and His perfect plan. This plan will become the delight of your soul. Ponder it and if you are on the wrong path, correct your direction in life.
Lord, I thank You for calling me to a blessed and unique mission in life. I choose, this day, that which You have given to me. I promise to say “Yes” to You throughout my life and to never tire of fulfilling Your Will. I love You, Lord. Help me to love You with my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
No comments:
Post a Comment