THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

30 OCTOBER 2022

 

          Three details about Zacchaeus help us understand the power of this Gospel.  First, we know that he is short in height.  There is a reason that Saint Luke tells ss that Zacchaeus is short in height, when no Gospel provides details of the physical characteristics of Jesus Christ.  We rely on the imaginations of artists to visualize what our Savior looked like.  Perhaps Zacchaeus had been made fun of throughout his childhood and given derogatory nicknames for his stature.  He was more than likely bullied.  Could he have made a childhood vow: “one day, they will look up to me?”  He could have learned to be ruthless in the loneliness and isolation of his childhood.  He is not the first or the last whose bruised adulthood began with childhood mistreatment.

            The second detail about Zacchaeus is that he is very rich. He has gotten rich by working with the hated Roman occupation forces to rip off his own people.  Tax collectors collected taxes well above what the Romans required and kept the rest for themselves.  The local community hates him for his ruthless means of becoming rich.  Earlier in Saint Luke’s Gospel, Jesus met a rich young man who wanted to follow him.  When Jesus told him to give away his wealth, he walked away sad.  At least he was a good man who lived the commandments.  Not Zacchaeus!  He is the town’s chief sinner according to every religious, political, or polite standard. 

            The Gospel of Saint Luke warns us about the dangers of wealth for disciples.  We heard the parable of the rich farmer who dies while planning to build bigger barns to enlarge his wealth.  We heard the parable about the rich man who ends up in torment because he has ignored the plight of Lazarus.  We heard that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to be saved.  Will Jesus condemn anyone who is wealthy?

            The answer is no.  That is why the third detail about Zacchaeus is so important.  He may be embarrassing himself by climbing the sycamore tree to see Jesus.  Jesus wants to see him.  Jesus had intended to pass through Jericho on his way up to Jerusalem.  When Jesus sees him, he calls him to come down and invites himself to dinner at his house.  Jesus looks at him with love, even though he knows his sins.  Zacchaeus responds and promises to give half of his wealth to the poor.  He promises to repay those he has defrauded four times over.  No matter how much the people of Jericho may hate him for the ways in which he has cheated them, Jesus sees the potential in him.  By loving him, his grace transforms him into who Zacchaeus really is:  a child of Abraham.  It is possible for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle.

            Last week, we pilgrims passed through Jericho, where we saw a huge sycamore tree.  Throughout our pilgrimage, we visited many sacred sites associated with the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The local Catholics call the Holy Land “the fifth Gospel,” because the actual places have the power to deepen what we learn from the four Gospels.  We encountered Jesus Christ in new and unexpected ways as we traveled “the fifth Gospel.”  Through those encounters, we encountered one another in our huge group of 93 pilgrims in new ways.  That is what this encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus teaches us.  We tend to write off those whom we find offensive.  We easily dismiss the possibility that those are doing wrong can change.  As the Book of Wisdom reminds us, God creates only what is good.  We too can respond to the invitation of Jesus to come down from our sycamore tree to dine with him.  As this Eucharistic banquet, we join everyone in trusting in the transforming love of Jesus Christ that gives everyone a chance to turn more completely to him and his manner of loving.

 

 

TWENTY-NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

16 OCTOBER 2022

 

          Jesus has a way of getting our attention.  In telling this parable, he contrasts two interesting characters to make a point.  The dishonest judge is a member of the elite.  As a judge, he should have had concern for those who are at the bottom of society.  This widow is at the bottom and among the most vulnerable, because she has no one to support her.  But the judge has no concern for her, because he neither fears God nor respects any human being.

            But the widow is persistent and relentless in pestering the judge for justice.  He finally renders a just judgment, not because he cares about her cause, but because she wears him down, torments him, and even browbeats him.  The original hearers of the parable must have smiled when Jesus says that the judge fears that this helpless widow will give him a black eye!

            Jesus uses this parable to give us an important lesson about praying.  He has just taught the disciples how to pray, giving them the Lord’s Prayer.  He has instructed them to pray for the coming of the kingdom.  In this parable, he is saying that if a dishonest judge can give a just judgment, how much more will the Father who loves us and wants the best for us give us what we need.  As he faces the reality of the cross, Jesus tells his followers not to get discouraged.  Our prayer opens our eyes to God’s kingdom, already in our midst.  We must continue to pray, even to the time when he will come again in glory and usher in the fullness of God’s kingdom.

            When we do not see the results of our persistent prayer, we can think that the Father is not listening.  We can be tempted to think that we can win over the Father to our point of view by continually bugging him in prayer and trying to make deals with him.  But, that is not the point of persistent prayer.  Persistent prayer opens our hearts to the loving care of the Father and the gift of his only Son, whose prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane will not be granted.  Jesus will leave the garden to face the horror of his shameful death.  However, he will be raised from the dead and complete the Paschal Mystery for himself and for us.  That Paschal Mystery informs and directs our persistent prayer.  The Father will not abandon us on our crosses, any more than he did not abandon his Son on his cross.

            There is another way of perceiving the Paschal Mystery in this parable.  Could it be that we are the dishonest judge?  Could it be that we get so caught up in our pursuit of our desires for wealth and honor and privilege that we no longer fear God?  Could it be that we can become so obsessed with our own needs and concerns that we ignore the needs of other human beings?  If that is true, the widow represents God, much like the woman in a previous parable resembles God.  She swept her house until she found the lost coin and invited her neighbors to celebrate her victory.  Like the vulnerable and defenseless widow, Jesus Christ took on our human nature and emptied himself of the riches of divinity.  He shows us the paradox of the Paschal Mystery.  In the Paschal Mystery, he provides strength in weakness and life through death.  Like the widow, he relentlessly pursues us to turn our attention away from ourselves and our narrow concerns to recognize his kingdom already in our midst.

            We have structured this “Year of Encounter” in such a way to provide a variety of new efforts to encounter the Lord in our daily lives, especially in the Sacramental life of the Church.  In encountering the Lord, we open our eyes to the many ways we encounter him in each other, especially in the needy, the vulnerable, and those pushed to the edges of our society.  This encounter will occur when we pray persistently and faithfully, even when we do not see an apparent answer to our prayers.  In our persistent prayer, we increase our trust in God’s unconditional love.  We must make sure that the Lord finds faith when he comes again.

 

TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

9 OCTOBER 2022

 

          Naaman is a very important and powerful Syrian general.  But he is also afflicted with leprosy, a skin disease that causes terrible physical pain and the destruction of his body.  This contagious and incurable skin disease also separates Naaman from his community.  One of his Jewish slaves tells him about a prophet in her homeland known for healing people.  Naaman travels to Israel and meets Elisha, the prophet.  Elisha tells him to plunge himself seven times in the waters of the Jordan River.  Naaman is insulted, because the rivers in Syria are much more impressive than the Jordan.  But he humbles himself and does what Elisha tells him to do.  After emerging from the Jordan completely healed, he wants to give Elisha a gift.  But Elisha refuses, because he has been the Lord’s instrument in a grace-filled healing that is freely given.  Instead, Naaman takes two mule-loads of earth back with him to Syria.  He will give thanks to the God of Israel, and not to the local pagan gods he had previously worshipped.

            The ten people who encounter Jesus in today’s Gospel are afflicted with the same painful and isolating skin disease.  They recognize the power of Jesus and call him by name.  They beg him to have pity (mercy) on them, using the same Greek word that we pray during the Penitential Act in Advent and Lent.  He tells them to go and show themselves to the priests, because only a priest can verify an authentic healing and return lepers to their rightful place in the community.  On their way, they are all healed.

            Only one returns to fall at the feet of Jesus in humility to thank him.  He is a hated Samaritan who has nothing in common with the other nine Jews.  Jesus asks where are the other nine.  We do not know.  We tend to think negatively of the nine who do not return to give thanks.  However, before we pass judgment, we might consider different reasons for not returning to give thanks.  Maybe one of them is a literalist with a narrow focus on obeying Jesus’ instruction to show himself to a priest.  It could be that another is keeping a vow to immediately give himself in humble service to the poor if he is healed.  Perhaps another is so overwhelmed with joy that he simply forgets.  The others might be thinking of nothing else other than running back home to accept the welcome embraces of family members and neighbors.

            In both the first reading and the Gospel, those who return to give thanks are foreigners – Naaman the Syrian and the Samaritan.  In humbling themselves to express their gratitude, each one experiences a much deeper healing.  Both are healed of bigotry, racism, national pride, and self-righteousness.  The Samaritan in particular displays an overwhelming desire to continue a relationship with Jesus Christ, the same relationship Saint Paul describes to Timothy and recommends to us.

            We gather every Sunday to express our gratitude for all that has been given to us when we celebrate the Eucharist (a Greek word which means “to give thanks.”)  But this communal expression of thanksgiving can become routine.  I became aware of my own tendency to experience the Mass as routine during the Easter Season earlier this year.  I watched as those who had received the Sacraments at the Easter Vigil came to Mass overwhelmed by our parish fellowship.  They wept when they sang the hymns.  They received the Eucharist with amazement and awe.  They eagerly heard the Scriptures.  They reminded me that I can take these mysteries too lightly.  They restored my sense of wonder at the presence of Christ in the Sacraments.

            At this Eucharist, we humble ourselves to thank the Lord for everything he has given us, especially for his self-giving sacrifice made present here as we remember it.  We listen to the Lord inviting us to encounter him more deeply and to know the deeper healing of the Samaritan. 

 

TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

2 OCTOBER 2022

 

          We have been hearing from Saint Luke’s Gospel these past Sundays. Jesus has been telling parables to teach us how to be disciples.  His parable of the unjust steward teaches us to be resourceful.  But we must avoid causing scandal.  We cannot become moral stumbling blocks that cause others to sin.  Disciples must be willing to forgive.  The older brother of the prodigal son refused to forgive his brother.  We must forgive when there is evidence of true repentance.  We cannot limit the times to forgive repentant sinners who have done us harm.

            The Apostles seem overwhelmed with these demands.  They wonder how they can remain authentic disciples of such a demanding Master.  So, they ask the Lord to increase their faith.  His response is interesting.  He assures them that if they have the faith the size of a mustard seed, they could say to the mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea,” and it would obey them.  If their faith is the size of this tiniest seed, they could uproot a tree with deep roots in the soil to have it survive in water.  In other words, they can trust that God will allow them to accomplish seemingly impossible things if they have just a little faith.

            The Lord is giving us, his disciples today, the same message.  We can easily become discouraged.  Like the Prophet Habakkuk, we can ask God why there is so much violence and strife and discord in our culture today.  Like Timothy, we may want to give up when we do not see many results from our efforts to make a difference in our world.  Saint Paul reminds Timothy that the Lord has not given him a spirit of cowardice.  Neither has he given that spirit to us.  He has given us the spirit of power and love and self-control.  We use these gifts when we have the humility to see that we are not in charge.  We are humble servants trying to use even the smallest amount of our faith to make a difference in our world by encountering and living the Gospel.

            We are like those servants who return from plowing.  We plow when we make efforts to evangelize our world.  Evangelizing can be as simple as encouraging someone who is not doing well or showing respect to someone who disagrees with us.  It can be as difficult as forgiving a past hurt and letting go of the hatred and bitterness caused by unjust behavior.  We tend sheep as priests and staff members in doing our best to serve the needs of our parishioners in guiding them to encounter the Lord in each other.  We do not embrace these tasks to get a reward or be recognized for outstanding achievements.  We move beyond our comfort zones because we are disciples of Jesus Christ, humble servants of the Gospel.

            The month of October gives us many opportunities to be humble servants who promote a culture of life in a culture that has so many other priorities.  The parish Respect Life Ministry provides information on our website and in the bulletin.  Many parishioners give a generous portion of their time to the organizations and ministries that make the culture of life more visible in our community.  Please take time to read that information.  Better yet, visit the Respect Life display in the Parish Life Center to make a commitment to join fellow parishioners in this effort.  There are ways we can walk with moms who are experiencing difficult pregnancies.  We can learn how to be more supportive of those who are dealing with any kind of disability.  We can participate in the parish ministries to those who are homebound or in nursing homes.  With a little faith and a great deal of humility, we can make a difference in a world.  With faith, we can recognize the Lord’s gift of power and love and self-control.  We can promote the sacredness of human life, made in the image of God.