Today’s Gospel story of Zaccheus, the “short guy in the sycamore tree,” is both well-known and popular.  Who is this man, what is his identity?  He was a chief “publican” and a corrupt man.  Publicans were Jews who worked for the foreign Romans; they betrayed their own homeland and people.  As a tax collector, Zaccheus sought money in customs tariffs and various illegitimate means.  He exploited people, benefitting himself instead of helping others.

As Jesus approaches, Zaccheus becomes curious.  Zaccheus thinks to himself: I would like to see him, just to satisfy my curiosity.  Then, he takes a surprising action; he does a foolish thing; he actually climbs a tree!  As Jesus approached, he spotted him and said: “Zaccheus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”  We can only imagine Zaccheus’ astonishment!

God’s Mission.  Commenting on this Gospel, Pope Francis offers a beautiful insight.  “Why does Jesus say ‘I must stay at your house’?  What duty does this refer to?  We know that his highest duty is to implement the Father’s plan for all of humanity, which is fulfilled in Jerusalem with his death sentence, the crucifixion and, on the third day, the Resurrection.  It is the Father’s merciful plan of salvation.”

“In this plan there is also the salvation of Zaccheus, a dishonest man who is despised by all, and therefore in need of conversion.  In fact, the Gospel says that when Jesus called him, they all murmured ‘He has gone into the house of a sinner.’  The people saw Zaccheus as a scoundrel who became rich at his neighbor’s expense….  They began to whisper: ‘Jesus is going to his house, the house of the sinner, the exploiter.’”

God’s Mercy.  Pope Francis continues: “Guided by mercy, Jesus looks for him precisely.  And when he enters Zaccheus’ house, he says: ‘Today salvation has come to this house, since he is also a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’  Jesus’ gaze goes beyond sins and prejudices.  And, this is important!  We must learn this.” 

“Jesus’ gaze goes beyond sins and prejudices; he sees the person through the eyes of God, who does not stop at past faults, but sees the future good….  Jesus does not stop at appearances, but looks at the heart.  And there he sees this man’s wounded heart: wounded by the sin of greed, by the many terrible things that Zaccheus has done.  He sees that wounded heart and goes there.”

God’s Compassion.  “Jesus attitude toward Zaccheus 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….  It gives people the confidence which makes them grow and change.  This is how God acts with all of us.”  Friends, let us appreciate how our God is both a God of mercy and a God of surprises!

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

You gaze upon my past, Lord Jesus,

yet still come with me to my home.

You look upon my sinfulness,

Lord Jesus, and still call me by my name with love.

You see beyond my faults and failings

and gently show me what I yet

may still become by your grace.

O Lord, you know I am not worthy

that you should enter my house,

call me by name, or merit your mercy

and yet you deign to be with me

not just because of who I am but more

because of who you are.

Your presence empowers me to repent

and your grace enables me to make

amends for all I have injured or betrayed,

knowing now that your power to save me

is infinitely greater than my power to sin.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Today the entire Church celebrates World Mission Day, an event created by Pope Pius XI in 1926.  Since that time, now nearly 100 years ago, the Pope composes a message for the reflective meditation by Catholics worldwide.  It is intended to deepen the missionary consciousness and commitment of all the faithful.  The title of this year’s message is: “You shall be my Witnesses,” (Acts 1:8).

Pope Francis begins by noting that the celebration of World Mission Day is to remind us that “the Church is missionary by nature” and that “the call of every Christian [is] to bear witness to Christ.”  Just as Christ was the first “missionary” of the Father, “every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ.”  Indeed, “to evangelize is the very identity of the Church.”

A Deeper Look.  If we pay focused attention to Christ’s call, we will appreciate many aspects of “the mission Christ entrusted to the disciples.”  All disciples “are urged to live their personal lives in a missionary key; they are sent by Jesus to the world not only to carry out, but also above all to live the mission entrusted to them; not only to bear witness, but also and above all to be witnesses of Christ.”

“The essence of mission is to bear witness to Christ, that is, to his life, passion, death and resurrection” and to his “love of the Father and of humanity.”  “Missionaries of Christ are not sent to communicate themselves….  Instead, theirs is the supreme honor of presenting Christ in words and deeds, proclaiming to everyone the Good News of his salvation, as the first apostles did, with joy and boldness.”

Further Insight.  Pope Francis goes on to say that “when it comes to Christian witness, the observation of Saint Paul VI remains ever valid.”  Paul VI noted: “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he listens to teachers, it is because they are witnesses” (Evangelii Nuntiandi 41).  It is noteworthy that Saint John Paul II quoted this same insight it his mission encyclical (Redemptoris Missio 42).

Pope Francis goes on to assert that “the testimony of an authentic Christian life is fundamental for the transmission of the faith.”  Yet, the proclamation of Christ’s person and message is equally necessary.  In short, this means that for evangelization

“the example of a Christian life and the proclamation of Christ are inseparable.  One is at the service of the other.  They are the two lungs with which any community must breathe, if it is to be missionary.”

Personal Invitation.  Pope Francis requests each of us to become a “consistent and joyful witness of Christ” and a “force of attraction for the growth of the Church.”  “I exhort everyone to take up once again the courage, frankness, and parrhesia [boldness] of the first Christians, in order to bear witness to Christ in word and deed, in every area of life.”

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Send me your Holy Spirit, O Lord,

that it may in turn send me

out into the world to witness to your love,

your mercy, your justice, and your truth.

Give me your grace, my God,

to love as you love, to be merciful

as you are merciful, to be just

as you are just and to live the truth

that you alone are God, all loving,

all merciful, and all just.

Send me out each day from my room,

my home, my comfort zone

to a world that longs for true peace.

Give me wisdom to proclaim

your good news no less through silence

than through words,

through deeds no less than

through holy patience waiting

for the right time to act.

Above all help me to live your Gospel

in everything I do or say and

find your presence in everyone I meet.

For you alone are the creator of all,

the savior of all humankind and

the redeemer in whose divine image

everyone on earth is made.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Only a few weeks ago, we all listened to the reports of the devastation and suffering caused by hurricane Ian, particularly in Florida.  Personally, I still vividly remember that in late September 2009 the Philippines suffered a “double-hit” of two back-to-back typhoons.  Typhoon Ondoy dumped the equivalent of over one month’s rainfall on Manila and the surrounding areas in less than 24 hours.  The situation was urgent.

Solidarity in Suffering.  Many people manifested their solidarity and compassion during these tragic events in Florida and Manila.  I remember Muelmar Magallanes, the 18-year-old construction worker who saved the lives of 30 people in Manila during the height of the storm.  After he had moved his own family to higher ground, he went back to do the same for some 30 others.  A strong swimmer, Muelmar’s last rescue mission was a 6-month-old baby and mother.  He then succumbed to fatigue and the strong currents carried him away.  Time magazine named him one of the top ten heroes of the year. 

Missionary Urgency.  The Church asks all of us to frequently reflect on the urgency of mission.  This theme dominates Saint Paul’s second letter to Timothy, today’s second reading.  Paul exhorts Timothy with the strongest of words: “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus … proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” 

Profound Insights.  In his mission encyclical Redemptoris Missio, Saint Pope John Paul II reflects on “missionary urgency.”  Listen to his words: “Mission is an issue of faith, an accurate indicator of our faith in Christ and his love for us” (RM 11).  The pope goes on to say that “in the Church’s history, missionary drive has always been a sign of vitality, just as its lessening is a sign of a crisis of faith” (RM 2).  And again, “The Lord is always calling us to come out of ourselves and to share with others the goods we possess, starting with the most precious gift of all—our faith” (RM 49).

John Paul II is asserting that mission will only flourish if it is built upon “our faith in Christ and his love for us.”  Only when we are deeply convinced of Christ’s personal love for us, will we be energized to tell others the good news.  A sense of the urgency of mission emerges from an awareness of God’s profound love.

Personal Commitment.  To meet the urgent needs caused by natural disasters, all try to do their share; the same principle holds true for spreading the Good News of Jesus.  It is an urgent imperative; all are called to serve the Church’s mission; some are even invited to give heroic service.  Remember Muelmar Magallanes; he gave his life in service.  So did Jesus on the cross.  You and I need to ask: How deep is my faith?  Is mission urgent for me?

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lord, who always hear the cry of the poor

and that all be saved by your truth

may I recognize my neighbor in need

and acknowledge that I may be the answer

to their prayers.

I confess I feel overwhelmed and helpless

in the face of tragedy and suffering.

Let me not refuse to do anything

out of fear I can do nothing

but let my efforts and offerings

no matter how small, by your grace

be multiplied to feed the multitudes.

Accept, then, my Lord and God, my gifts

of time, talents, and prayers as but

the first fruits of my faith in you.

Together with brothers and sisters of faith

may we answer your urgent call to help

that the world may be healed, fed and freed

to build your kingdom here on earth.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.