Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook people's sins that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things! Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!
SECOND READING A reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians :11-2:2
Brothers and sisters: We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
We ask you, brothers and sisters, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him, not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to 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 all 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."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER We can imagine Zacchaeus’ astonishment! Why does Jesus say “I must stay at your house”? It is the Father’s merciful plan of salvation. And in this plan there is also the salvation of Zacchaeus, a dishonest man who is despised by all, and therefore in need of conversion.And when he enters Zacchaeus’ house he says: “Today, salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (vv. 9-10). Jesus’ gaze goes beyond sins and prejudices. We must learn this.he sees the person through the eyes of God, who does not stop at past faults, but sees the future good.Sometimes we try to correct or convert a sinner by scolding him, by pointing out his mistakes and wrongful behaviour. Jesus’ attitude toward Zacchaeus shows us another way: that of showing those who err their value, the value that God continues to see in spite of everything, despite all their mistakes. This may bring about a positive surprise, which softens the heart and spurs the person to bring out the good that he has within himself. This is how God acts with all of us: he is not blocked by our sin, but overcomes it with love and makes us feel nostalgia for the good. (Angelus, 30 october 2016)
FAUSTI - Together with the parable of the Samaritan and the Merciful Father, this account can be considered "a Gospel in the Gospel", in the sense that it explains its fundamental contents. The encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus brings salvation, impossible for everyone, but not for God, for whom "nothing is impossible" (1, 37). Finally, man's desire to see the Son of man meets His "duty" to dwell and remain beside him. Finally, God and man find a home in each other and can cease from their labors. It is the face to face with the Savior, to whom each one is called. Anticipated now for one, it will then extend to all, to the ends of the earth. In Zacchaeus (=God remembers) that God who also provides for the little ones of the crow who cry out to Him (Sl 147,9) remembers every man, however small and unclean, and makes him pure, so that he may make the holy journey. Each Word is allusive and allows each of the themes dear to the evangelist of universal salvation to resound, from those of the manger in Bethlehem to those of the wood of Calvary. The center is the "desire to seeing" of Zacchaeus and Jesus' gaze towards him. From this encounter of glances, salvation flows today: the Savior is bornes Zacchaeus, the one that cannot be saved par excellence, finds the Son of Man, who came to seek out what was lost: "it is necessary" that "today" and "quickly" " I dwell" "in your house". The unsalvable has the unique prerogative required for salvation: he sees his own misery and "tries to see" the mercy of the Lord who is passing . This is the beginning of all enlightenment. Zacchaeus - a figure of Adam who has hidden himself from the Face of his Lord - is inexpugnable Jericho. Jesus first approaches him and heals his eye, always sick by mortal envy. He can then see His gaze that seduces everyone. Once he had opened the window of his heart, he entered it and took possession of him. Just as the blind man raised his eyes to his Lord, so he who has become the smallest of all raises his eyes to Zacchaeus. As small as he may be, he is always higher than him, as are all his disciples. In fact, He has lowered more than anything, so as to be able to serve everyone. Only the humble meets God, because God is Humble. Love makes the other person superior to himself. (Phil 2:3). Nicholas of Flue, in the end of his vision of Jesus, the Pilgrim who begs for love from man, writes: "When the pilgrim was four steps away, he turned. He had his hat over his head (in which he had already received the alms from Nicholas); he removed it and bowed to the man (Nicholas himself). Then the man understood the love that the Pilgrim had for him, and he was shocked, seeing that he was unworthy of it. He knew in Spirit that the face of the Pilgrim, His eyes, His whole Body, were filled with a humility full of Love, like a vase so full of honey that it could not add a drop. At that moment he did not see the Pilgrim anymore. But it was so paid that it was no longer waiting for anything. It seemed to him that everything that was in heaven and on earth had been revealed to him. The great mystery on which to be enlightened is the humility of God that Jesus reveals to us to save us. We all have a home in which to welcome Jesus. God is pure acceptance, and He seeks nothing but to be accepted. The Father in the Son welcomes all, and all those who welcome the Son are with Him welcomed into the Father. The sixth work of Jesus - the one that restores man in his original nature - is to open his closed and shrunken hand to him, so that he may receive the Gift of God, God Himself.
-->The whole Bible narrates God's search for man. In His Love He strips Himself of everything, even of Himself, and lowers Himself to every humiliation in order to find him. But he can only find the ones who already seek Him. And only those who have already been found and healed by Him in the eye , seek Him, so that they may desire Him. Now Jesus can enter Jerusalem and do what He came for. Zacchaeus is the anticipation of this.
FIRST READING
RispondiEliminaA reading from the Book of Wisdom
11:22-12:2
Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance
or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;
and you overlook people's sins that they may repent.
For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little,
warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,
that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!
SECOND READING
A reading from the Second Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians
:11-2:2
Brothers and sisters:
We always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose
and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him,
in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
We ask you, brothers and sisters,
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed
either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to 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 all 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."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
We can imagine Zacchaeus’ astonishment! Why does Jesus say “I must stay at your house”? It is the Father’s merciful plan of salvation. And in this plan there is also the salvation of Zacchaeus, a dishonest man who is despised by all, and therefore in need of conversion.And when he enters Zacchaeus’ house he says: “Today, salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (vv. 9-10). Jesus’ gaze goes beyond sins and prejudices. We must learn this.he sees the person through the eyes of God, who does not stop at past faults, but sees the future good.Sometimes we try to correct or convert a sinner by scolding him, by pointing out his mistakes and wrongful behaviour. Jesus’ attitude toward Zacchaeus shows us another way: that of showing those who err their value, the value that God continues to see in spite of everything, despite all their mistakes. This may bring about a positive surprise, which softens the heart and spurs the person to bring out the good that he has within himself. This is how God acts with all of us: he is not blocked by our sin, but overcomes it with love and makes us feel nostalgia for the good. (Angelus, 30 october 2016)
FAUSTI - Together with the parable of the Samaritan and the Merciful Father, this account can be considered "a Gospel in the Gospel", in the sense that it explains its fundamental contents.
RispondiEliminaThe encounter between Jesus and Zacchaeus brings salvation, impossible for everyone, but not for God, for whom "nothing is impossible" (1, 37). Finally, man's desire to see the Son of man meets His "duty" to dwell and remain beside him.
Finally, God and man find a home in each other and can cease from their labors.
It is the face to face with the Savior, to whom each one is called.
Anticipated now for one, it will then extend to all, to the ends of the earth.
In Zacchaeus (=God remembers) that God who also provides for the little ones of the crow who cry out to Him
(Sl 147,9) remembers every man, however small and unclean, and makes him pure, so that he may make the holy journey. Each Word is allusive and allows each of the themes dear to the evangelist of universal salvation to resound, from those of the manger in Bethlehem to those of the wood of Calvary.
The center is the "desire to seeing" of Zacchaeus and Jesus' gaze towards him.
From this encounter of glances, salvation flows today: the Savior is bornes
Zacchaeus, the one that cannot be saved par excellence, finds the Son of Man, who came to seek out what was lost: "it is necessary" that "today" and "quickly" " I dwell" "in your house".
The unsalvable has the unique prerogative required for salvation: he sees his own misery and "tries to see" the mercy of the Lord who is passing .
This is the beginning of all enlightenment.
Zacchaeus - a figure of Adam who has hidden himself from the Face of his Lord - is inexpugnable Jericho.
Jesus first approaches him and heals his eye, always sick by mortal envy.
He can then see His gaze that seduces everyone.
Once he had opened the window of his heart, he entered it and took possession of him.
Just as the blind man raised his eyes to his Lord, so he who has become the smallest of all raises his eyes to Zacchaeus. As small as he may be, he is always higher than him, as are all his disciples. In fact, He has lowered more than anything, so as to be able to serve everyone.
Only the humble meets God, because God is Humble.
Love makes the other person superior to himself. (Phil 2:3).
Nicholas of Flue, in the end of his vision of Jesus, the Pilgrim who begs for love from man, writes: "When the pilgrim was four steps away, he turned. He had his hat over his head (in which he had already received the alms from Nicholas); he removed it and bowed to the man (Nicholas himself). Then the man understood the love that the Pilgrim had for him, and he was shocked, seeing that he was unworthy of it.
He knew in Spirit that the face of the Pilgrim, His eyes, His whole Body, were filled with a humility full of Love, like a vase so full of honey that it could not add a drop.
At that moment he did not see the Pilgrim anymore.
But it was so paid that it was no longer waiting for anything. It seemed to him that everything that was in heaven and on earth had been revealed to him.
The great mystery on which to be enlightened is the humility of God that Jesus reveals to us to save us.
We all have a home in which to welcome Jesus.
God is pure acceptance, and He seeks nothing but to be accepted.
The Father in the Son welcomes all, and all those who welcome the Son are with Him welcomed into the Father. The sixth work of Jesus - the one that restores man in his original nature - is to open his closed and shrunken hand to him, so that he may receive the Gift of God, God Himself.
-->The whole Bible narrates God's search for man.
RispondiEliminaIn His Love He strips Himself of everything, even of Himself, and lowers Himself to every humiliation in order to find him.
But he can only find the ones who already seek Him.
And only those who have already been found and healed by Him in the eye , seek Him, so that they may desire Him.
Now Jesus can enter Jerusalem and do what He came for. Zacchaeus is the anticipation of this.