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Contemplating today's Gospel

Today's Gospel + homily (in 300 words)

View saints: Saint Elisabeth of Hungary
Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time
View 1st Reading and Psalm
1st Reading (Rev 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: 14
R/. 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.

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.

Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be disturbed.
Versicle before the Gospel (1Jn 4:10): Alleluia. God loved us, and send his Son as expiation for our sins. Alleluia.
Gospel text (Lk 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 Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”

Fr. Enric RIBAS i Baciana (Barcelona, Spain)

Today, I am Zacchaeus. He was a rich man and the chief tax collector; I have more than I need, and perhaps I often act like a tax collector and forget about Christ. Amidst the crowd, Jesus seeks out Zacchaeus; today, in the midst of this world, He seeks me out specifically: "Come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house" (Lk 19:5).

Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus, but he cannot do so unless he makes the effort to climb the tree. How often I wish I could see God’s action at work, but I don’t know if I am truly willing to make a fool of myself by acting like Zacchaeus. The willingness shown by this chief tax collector of Jericho is essential for Jesus to act; and if you do not act promptly, you might miss the only opportunity to be touched by God, and thus, to be saved. Perhaps I have had many chances to encounter Jesus, and it may be time to be courageous: to step out, to meet Him, and to invite Him to enter my inner self, so that He might say of me, too: "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 " (Lk 19:9-10).

Zacchaeus welcomes Jesus into his home and into his heart, even though he does not feel very worthy of such a visit. In him, conversion is total: it begins by renouncing the pursuit of wealth, continues with a commitment to share his possessions, and culminates in his determination to do what is right by making amends for the sins he has committed. Maybe Jesus has been asking something similar of me for a long time, but I don't want to listen to Him and I turn a deaf ear; I need conversion.

As Saint Maximus said: "Nothing is so dear and loved by Him as when men turn to Him with true repentance." May He help me make it a reality today.

Thoughts on Today's Gospel

  • “What is carried out with a disposition of sad and forced mood does not deserve gratitude nor has nobility. So, when we do good, we must do it, not sadly, but with joy” (Saint Gregory of Nazianzen)

  • “The term “eternal life” is intended to give a name to this known “unknown”. It would be like plunging into the ocean of infinite love. We can only attempt to grasp the idea that such a moment is life in the full sense. We must think along these lines if we want to understand the object of Christian hope.” (Benedict XVI)

  • “Holy Communion separates us from sin. The body of Christ we receive in Holy Communion is "given up for us," and the blood we drink "shed for the many for the forgiveness of sins." For this reason the Eucharist cannot unite us to Christ without at the same time cleansing us from past sins and preserving us from future sins” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n 1393)

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The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

Gospel and commentary video

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