31ST SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C

YEAR C: HOMILY FOR THE 31ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

HOMILY THEME: SEEK AND SAVE..…Zaccheus, come down quickly for I must stay at your house today”

BY: Fr. Joaquim MESEGUER García

HOMILY: Today, it looks as if t

31ST SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C

HOMILY THEME: SEEK AND SAVE..…Zaccheus, come down quickly for I must stay at your house today”

BY: Fr. Joaquim MESEGUER García

 

HOMILY: Today, it looks as if the Evangelic narrative was the accomplishment of the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (cf. Lk 18:9-14). Humbly and sincerely, the tax collector was praying from the bottom of his heart: «O God, be merciful to me a sinner» (Lk 18:13); and, today, we contemplate how Jesus Christ honors Zaccheus’ repentance by forgiving him, the Jericho chief tax collector, a wealthy and influent man, though hated and underrated by his neighbors, who felt bled by him: «Zaccheus, come down quickly for I must stay at your house today» (Lk 19:5). The divine forgiveness provokes the conversion of Zaccheus; this is one of the originalities of the Gospel: God’s forgiveness is free; it is not that God forgives us because of our conversion, but the other way round: God’s mercy sort of impels us to feel grateful and reciprocate accordingly.

As Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem, passes through Jericho, Jesus passes through our life, today and every day, and calls us by name. Zaccheus had never seen Jesus before, but he had heard of him and was curious to know more about such famous master. Jesus, instead, did know Zaccheus and the miseries of his life. Jesus was aware of the fact Zaccheus had enriched himself to the injury of others and was, therefore, hated and rejected by his fellow citizens; this is why He passed through Jericho, to rescue him from that well: «The Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost» (Lk 19:10).

ALSO RECOMMENDED: 31ST SUNDAY HOMILY IN ORDINARY TIME

 

The encounter between the Master and the tax collector totally changed the latter’s life. After having listened to this Gospel, ponder over the opportunity God is offering you, which you cannot neglect: Jesus Christ passes through your life and calls you by name, because He loves you and He wants to save you. Which well did you fall in? As Zaccheus climbed up to that tree better to see Jesus, you can now climb up to the Cross along with Jesus and you will know who is He, you will know the immensity of his love, inasmuch as if «The chief among the Publicans is here fitly introduced: For who will hereafter despair of himself, now that he attains to grace who gained his living by fraud?» (St. Ambrose).

Fr. Joaquim MESEGUER García
(Rubí, Barcelona, Spain)

 

FOR A SIMILAR SUNDAY HOMILY CLICK HERE>>>>>

Discover more from Catholic For Life

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading