Category: Uncategorized

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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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There’s often a deeper meaning beneath the words and stories in scripture. Today, for example, we hear the story of Zacchaeus, a man short in stature and hated by his neighbors. 

When he hears that Jesus of Nazareth is approaching his town, he rushes to see him. But his short stature and the presence of the crowds nearly prevent him. Desperate, Zacchaeus runs ahead like a child and climbs a sycamore tree.

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His short stature is symbolic of his tiny, budding faith. But, as Jesus says elsewhere, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this tree be uprooted and planted in the sea and it would obey you.” 

Zacchaeus reminds the crowds – and us – that a hint of faith can change a life.

As for the crowds, they not only serve as a physical – but also a spiritual – barrier to entry. Having been cheated by him, they label Zacchaeus a “sinner.” And rightfully so. 

But something in his heart has changed.

Perched up in that sycamore tree, he reaches a fork in the road. Will he accept the scornful label his neighbors have given him? Will he bury his budding faith and return to his man-made life of corruption? Or will he mend his ways?

“Lord, half of my possessions,” he says, “I shall give to the poor.”

Zacchaeus not only reminds us that faith comes at a cost, but also that people can be reticent to believe we can change.

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This image of a tiny tax collector perched in a tree is also an image of a Christian at prayer.

From time to time, we all need to pause what we are doing, climb out of our busy schedules, and spend time with Jesus. In those precious, quiet moments, the Lord not only counsels us, but he also gives us the grace to change. 

May Zacchaeus, a tax collector turned disciple, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Sermon Central (2) Adobe Stock (3) Redbubble

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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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“Have sight; your faith has saved you.”

I imagine the Lord saying the first part of that sentence – have sight – with ease, almost in a dismissive way. The same way a wealthy man might toss a beggar a coin. To Jesus, granting the gift of physical sight is nothing compared to the power he bears.

Elsewhere in the Gospels, he tells us he casts out demons by, “the finger of God.” 

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It’s the second part of that sentence – your faith has saved you – that should capture our attention. This is what draws Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, the Lord laments how people, even entire towns, have little to no faith in Him.

As Saint Matthew accounts, “He began to reproach the towns where most of his mighty deeds had been done, since they had not repented.” 

“Woe to you!” he says.

Even the disciples are rebuked for their doubt.

While enduring a violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples awaken a sleeping Jesus, fearing they are going to drown. Irritated, the Lord rubs his eyes and rebukes them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”

Then he calms the wind and the waves.

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In my own ministry, I’ve witnessed countless miracles similar to what happens in the Gospels. I’ve seen cancer healed, brain damage removed, body aches and pains disappear. 

Yet the change in a person’s physical diagnosis does not automatically lead to faith; the human heart can be incredibly resistant to change.

This is why the blind man in today’s Gospel is praiseworthy. He’s not only healed physically; his faith also inspires him to get up and “follow” Jesus.

To “follow” Jesus not only means to move your feet, but also to open your heart.

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May we do the same today.

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Image credits: (1) Growing Christians Ministries (2) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, YouTube (3) LifeWire

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Gospel: Luke 21: 5-19

While some people were speaking about
how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,
Jesus said, “All that you see here–
the days will come when there will not be left
a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”

Then they asked him,
“Teacher, when will this happen?
And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?”
He answered,
“See that you not be deceived,
for many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he,’ and ‘The time has come.’
Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections,
do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,
but it will not immediately be the end.”
Then he said to them,
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues
from place to place;
and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.

“Before all this happens, however,
they will seize and persecute you,
they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,
and they will have you led before kings and governors
because of my name.
It will lead to your giving testimony.
Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,
for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking
that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.
You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends,
and they will put some of you to death.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.
By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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It’s easy to see why some people think the world is coming to an end. All you have to do is hold the newspaper in one hand and Luke’s Gospel in the other.

“Nation will rise against nation.” Check.

Sadly, it feels like that prophecy is happening within our own nation.

“There will be powerful earthquakes.” Check.

“Famines and plagues.” Check, check.

“Awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky.” Lord, does that include hurricanes and typhoons? If so, check.

In fact, in the last month, there have been 5 earthquakes and 4 typhoons that battered the Philippines, washing away entire villages. More than 1 million people were evacuated and housed in one of 6,000 different shelters across the main island.

“But before all this happens,” Jesus says, “they will seize you and persecute you.” Check.

More Christians were killed in the 20^th century than all previous 19 centuries combined.

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This frightening – and honest – Gospel passage not only looks to the present and future age, but also to the past when, in nearly every generation, people could’ve imagined the end was near. 

Only it wasn’t.

This confusing delay of the Lord is one of the stickiest issues Christians face. Even Jesus, who supposedly has access to God’s calendar, doesn’t seem to know when the end will come. 

But consider when he said these things. As Jesus was walking with his disciples in the Temple, one of them must’ve stopped to admire its beauty; it was one of the greatest buildings of its age.

Knowing that within 40 years, the Temple would crumble, never to be rebuilt, and that within a handful of days he himself will be buried in the earth, Jesus makes these predictions. 

If that’s not enough, the Lord wraps a nice little bow around his words by saying, “Do not be afraid.” 

Lord, how can we not be? 

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It’s easy for people to see the signs of the times as proof of God’s absence. Maybe he has other matters to attend to in another corner of the universe. Or maybe he’s given up on creation.

No. All of these events are signs of God’s presence. 

The fact that Jesus mentions each of these events is a sign he knows they will come. And when they do – as they have century after century – Christians are to be reminded of his words, then to ask for the grace of perseverance.

“Not a hair on your head will be destroyed,” he promises. “By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

This is the real heart of the matter: Jesus never promised to lead us around trial or terror, but through it. 

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As Saint Paul said at the end of his own life, “I have competed well; I have fought the good fight; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith.” Paul uses athletic language – I have competed, fought, run – to stress the physical nature of his struggles.

Scholars estimate he walked 10,000 miles on foot. In the course of his journeys, he was repeatedly beaten, tortured, bloodied, abandoned, and left for dead. Not to mention the many nights he spent at sea or shipwrecked. 

Many of Paul’s pastoral letters were written from prison. Yet he never lost his faith; rather, it seems his trials only strengthened his conviction. 

“What can separate us from the love of Christ?” he writes. “Peril or nakedness or the sword? … No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who has loved us.” 

Paul was convinced that through his suffering, the Lord was leading him to peaceful waters; to green pastures; to eternal life.

This is an original – almost unique – Pauline insight, that in our suffering, there is grace. In our peril, God is present.

As the Psalmist foretold long ago, “Even though I walk through the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are at my side. Your rod and your staff give me courage.”

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Earthquakes. Plagues. Famine. 

Check, check, check.

Perhaps the only way to accept these truths is to pray for the grace of surrender; to live and breathe in this world on God’s terms, not our own. In this Eucharist, may we trust that Christ is with us so that his prayer to his Father from the Cross may become our own.

“Into your hands, I commend my spirit.”

Check.

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Image credits: (1) CS Lewis Institute (2) NPR (3) Crosswalk.com