Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 19: 41-44

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,
he saw the city and wept over it, saying,
“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–
but now it is hidden from your eyes.
For the days are coming upon you
when your enemies will raise a palisade against you;
they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.
They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,
and they will not leave one stone upon another within you
because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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For the last three years, Jesus has exercised his public ministry. 

He’s forgiven sins, healed the sick, and even raised Lazarus from the dead. At one point, the crowds following him were so large they nearly trampled him to death.

But now his ministry is coming crashing to an end. He’s about to enter Jerusalem, the place where he’ll be crucified like a criminal.

From the very beginning, however, Jesus warned his disciples that this day was coming.

Now he’s just a week away.

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Consider what that means.

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For at least one thousand days, Jesus carried this knowledge that his public ministry would lead to his death. 

And yet, he doesn’t turn away from it. He embraces it. He perseveres to the end.

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Perhaps this is why he says to us, “Come to me all you who are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus knows what it feels like to carry a heavy burden. He shows us how to persevere in times of trial through prayer and unrelenting confidence in his Father.

With Jesus by our side, we, too, can persevere through whatever life throws at us.

So, what burdens am I carrying that I might want to share with him?

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Let us pray.

Father, we lift up all who find themselves heavy burdened this day. May they persevere like Jesus, who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

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Image credits: (1) Dreams Quote (2) Dominus Flevit, FourSquare (3) In Due Time Blog

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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.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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As chief tax collector, Zacchaeus was the most hated man in town.

He made a living off of squeezing money out of others, often the poorest and most vulnerable in town.

But the Gospel tells us that Zacchaeus was also “desperate” to see Jesus.

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This was a man with competing desires. After years of living high on the hog, Zacchaeus remained unfulfilled.

His career drove him into isolation.

Although he appeared strong and powerful to the outside world, he was starving for life’s intangibles: love, intimacy, and friendship.

Things he longed to share, above all, with Jesus. 

As the French philosopher Blaise Paschal once wrote, “In every person’s heart is an empty space that has the shape of God…and nothing else can fill it.”

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How many of us feel that God-shaped hole?

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Zacchaeus reminds us that nothing – no title, no amount of money or power – will ever be enough. God alone can satisfy the deepest longings within us.

May we seek Him out today.

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Image credits: (1) Compelling Truth (2) Aleteia (3) Converge

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Gospel: Luke 18: 35-43

As Jesus approached Jericho
a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,
and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.
They told him,
“Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
He shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!”
The people walking in front rebuked him,
telling him to be silent,
but he kept calling out all the more,
“Son of David, have pity on me!”
Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;
and when he came near, Jesus asked him,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
He replied, “Lord, please let me see.”
Jesus told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
He immediately received his sight
and followed him, giving glory to God.
When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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The story of this blind man, whom Mark tells us is named Bartimaeus, is all about seeing with eyes of faith.

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Yes, Bartimaeus has his physical sight restored. But one day someone will close his eyes and commend him to God.

Physical sight in that sense has a shelf-life.  

What really matters is that Bartimaeus sees Jesus with eyes of faith as Lord. 

The next step for him will be to see the Risen Jesus in his neighbor.

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That’s the challenge for us, too; to see Jesus.

There are two places, in particular, where we’re called to see him. In the Eucharist and in one another.

Do I see Jesus, fully present at Mass? Do I see him in my neighbor?

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May the faith of Bartimaeus become our own, allowing us to see Jesus everywhere we go.

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Image credits: (1) The Houston Catholic Worker (2) Christian Art (3) House of Faith, Wesleyan Church