As we listen to or watch the news, we may become very disenchanted and negative in our view of the world. It is not uncommon to hear people say, "The world is going to hell in a hand basket," or "God must be getting very angry with us when He sees all that is going on." Our Scripture readings today give us an insight into how God views His creation, as imperfect as we are.
Our first reading from the Book of Wisdom may surprise us when the author writes speaking to God: "You love all things and loathe nothing that you have made, for what you hated, you would not have fashioned." In other words, "God don't make no junk," to quote some unknown but profound armchair theologian. The author of the Book of Wisdom must have been thinking of the story of creation in which God looked at His creation and "saw that it was good." God creates only what is good; it is man or woman that creates what is bad. That's what Adam and Eve did when they used their gift of free will to go against God. And yet God did not condemn His creation. He immediately promised to redeem it one day.
But how does God deal with the junk Adam and Eve created and that that we continue to create in our lives by our own sinfulness? The author of Wisdom tells us, ""But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord, lover of souls." You see, God loves His creation and all that is in it. He is patient and merciful—"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." This is our God—loving, compassionate, forgiving and merciful! A God of unconditional love.
Zacchaeus is a wonderful example of what the author of Wisdom is talking about today. Zacchaeus is a tax collector and we all know about how they operated and how their Jewish brothers and sisters regarded them. Zacchaeus was not only a tax collector; he was a chief tax collector which allowed him to cheat twice over. Lots of junk in this guy's life. Yet something about Jesus attracted him to go and see Him. But he had one one problem—he was short and he couldn't see Jesus because of the large crowd. So he climbed a tree to see Jesus better and low and behold doesn't Jesus look up at him and very pointedly invites himself to Zacchaeus's hose for dinner.
You see, God created Zacchaeus and knew that in his heart he was searching for the truth and for integrity. Did you notice how the others grumbled and passed judgment on Zacchaeus when they heard Jesus invite himself to dinner with a sinner? As the first reading stated, "You have mercy on all...and you overlook people's sins that they may repent." And indeed did Zacchaeus repent—he offered to repay restitution to those he cheated well over the required amount. Ironically, it appeared Jesus was inviting Himself into the home of Zacchaeus but in reality, He was inviting Zacchaeus into His own Sacred Heart, the heart of love, compassion, forgiveness, and mercy.
And that, my good people, is the message of today's Scriptures. Jesus loves each and every one of us personally, not as a group ,but uniquely as individuals. He is willing to forgive us for whatever junk we have created in our lives because we are not junk ourselves. We have been created in the image of God. We are very sacred to Him. He simply asks us to repent and accept His love: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has planned for those who love Him."
Zacchaeus was drawn to Jesus by God's grace and he responded with love and repentance because he trusted in what Jesus could offer him. That is all God asks of us as well.
Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has spoken and written much on the mercy of God since his election as pope. I would like to read a short section of one of the homilies he gave last March. His remarks echo the meaning of today's Scripture readings.:
"It is not easy to entrust oneself to God's mercy, because it is an abyss beyond our comprehension. But we must! ... "Oh, I am a great sinner!" "All the better! Go to Jesus: he likes you to tell him these things!" He forgets, he has a very special capacity for forgetting. He forgets, he kisses you, he embraces you and he simply says to you: "Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more" (Jn 8:11). — Homily on March 17, 2013
That is exactly what Jesus did for Zacchaeus in today's Gospel; Zacchaeus trusted himself to the mercy of Jesus and salvation came to him. Jesus will do the same for us. He extends his mercy to us explicitly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
My good people, today and at every Eucharist, we meet the loving, compassionate and merciful Jesus, as we become one with Him in Holy Communion. We don't have to climb a tree to see Him. We are in HIS house and He will come into our hearts in just a few moments. I would leave us with this question to think about, then. What do WE have to say to him today when He comes?
Comments
RickyPosted on 10/12/14
I'm not interested in football http://dubaioto.com/?page_id=buy-differin-gel-03 differin price In a statement, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said, "Today's bankruptcy filing is an unfortunate event in our city's history. While it has never been my desire that the city file for bankruptcy, I understand why Kevyn found it necessary to do so."
JimmiPosted on 10/12/14
Can I use your phone? http://www.etnonautas.com/erythromycin-250-mg-ec-cap erythromycin bs 500 mg A plaque was placed on a rock near the bridge at Patchogue Long Island Beach Club, where the bottle was discovered in December. It reads: "Be excellent to yourself dude," the same message inside the bottle. The note, a line from the movie "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," was written by Sidonie Fery and tossed into the ocean inside a ginger ale bottle. She died in 2010 at the age of 18 in a fall from a cliff in Switzerland.
GracePosted on 10/12/14
This is your employment contract http://cgperformance.co.uk/?page_id=lotrel-5 lotrel 10 20 While most of the bank's businesses generated more income, the revenue picture was mixed. In consumer and small business banking, revenue fell by nearly 1 percent, while in consumer real estate services, revenue dropped 16 percent. In retail brokerage and asset management, investment banking and sales and trading, revenue rose.
goodboyPosted on 10/12/14
Not in at the moment http://www.thegreenhouse.co.uk/prevacid-en-espanol/ lansoprazole and omeprazole Lieutenant Colonel David Parkinson is believed to have been killed by a gang of at least five, who broke into his home in central Kenya wielding machetes and a gun in the early hours of Sunday. The intruders tied up his wife, Sonja, but she managed to escape and lock herself in a storeroom, police said.
JosiahPosted on 10/12/14
Where do you come from? http://www.nmhba.org/buy-cheap-silagra/ silagra 100 mg cipla Ford's U.S. dealers, bolstered by strong pickup sales,delivered 185,186 vehicles in September, up 5.8 percent from theprevious year and narrowing the gap with industry leader GM to aslim 2,000 vehicles last month.
JackPosted on 10/12/14
History http://www.elainecsmith.com/norvasc-hctz/ norvasc other names "The bottom line is that students will pay more under this bill than if Congress did nothing, and low rates will soon give way to rates that are even higher than the 6.8 percent rate that Congress is trying to avoid," said Chris Lindstrom, higher education program director for the consumer group US PIRG.
CarsonPosted on 10/12/14
this post is fantastic http://www.thegreenhouse.co.uk/prevacid-en-espanol/ what is lansoprazole Other shows announced include Colour - which will examine the materials used to create colour in paintings and other works of art - while works by Hans Holbein the Younger and Lucas Cranach the Elder will feature in Strange Beauty: Masters of the German Renaissance.
IanPosted on 10/12/14
Who do you work for? http://bridgesventures.com/accutane-cost-india/ accutane messageboards 15 year old China is demonstrating that it can deploy forces far beyondits coastal waters on patrols where they conduct complex battleexercises, according to Japanese and Western naval experts.Chinese shipyards are turning out new nuclear and conventionalsubmarines, destroyers, missile-armed patrol boats and surfaceships at a higher rate than any other country.
FaithPosted on 10/12/14
I've got a full-time job http://www.nmhba.org/buy-cheap-silagra/ silagra 100 mg bijwerkingen The new data come from a large study of Swedish women started in 1968, when participants were at least 38 years old. Researchers surveyed 800 of those women about their mental health and wellbeing at least once every decade until 2005.
NicholasPosted on 10/12/14
It's OK http://bridgesventures.com/accutane-cost-india/ is buying accutane online safe The talks between Phoenix and Admin Re are at an early stage and could still fall through before a deal can be reached, Sky News said. A merger of the two would create a business with more than 100 billion pounds under management and close to 10 million policy holders.
PaytonPosted on 10/12/14
I've got a very weak signal http://bridgesventures.com/betnovate-scalp-solution/ betamethasone sodium phosphate tablets Insiders say the commission sent the letters because it feared a judge would rule it was overstepping boundaries if it issued subpoenas. The letters make it easier for the commission to publicly shame the Legislature if lawmakers donâÂÂt comply.
AlexandraPosted on 10/12/14
How much is a First Class stamp? http://www.elainecsmith.com/norvasc-hctz/ norvasc cheap "Conflict is the price we pay for a deeper level of intimacy," says Les Parrott, a Seattle psychologist who, with his wife, Leslie Parrott, authored the recent book, "The Good Fight: How Conflict Can Bring You Closer." (That they have the same first name – his is officially "Leslie," too – and a last name that seems to underscore the point is not a marketing tactic.)
MariahPosted on 10/12/14
Enter your PIN http://bridgesventures.com/betnovate-scalp-solution/ betnovate buy online It was the first time Holmes had run hard in public since suffering the injury last September. Earlier in the week, Holmes maintained that, âÂÂright now, I canâÂÂt run,â but he looked to move easily at three-quarters speed during the routes and separate sprints.
HannahPosted on 10/12/14
I came here to study http://dubaioto.com/?page_id=buy-ampicillin-online buy acillin At first the Roman Catholic Church declined to give her its support; indeed for many years, as a divorcée she had been unable to take Holy Communion. Nothing daunted, she left her home in Ventura, California, packed in her job, made her vows in private and moved into a bunk in the women’s wing of La Mesa Tijuana, a prison housing 7,500 male and 500 female prisoners, later moving to her own 10-by-10-ft concrete cell.
RyanPosted on 10/12/14
Can I call you back? http://cgperformance.co.uk/?page_id=50-mg-amitriptyline-for-sleep much does amitriptyline cost The Giants have circled the wagons after last weekâÂÂs embarrassing defeat and are talking like the Super Bowl champs of two years ago, promising that the âÂÂreal Giantsâ will show up. But what if these are the real Giants? As Bill Parcells liked to say, you are what your record says you are. There are actually more signs of collapse than recovery. For instance, they say itâÂÂs nothing but itâÂÂs rare to hear any Giant complain the way Hakeem Nicks did after last weekâÂÂs game. Meanwhile, Reid has brought a sense of professionalism and efficiency to K.C.; Arrowhead Stadium should be rocking like the old days with the Chiefs off to such a good start, and that will only make things more difficult for the Giantsâ offensive line.
SebastianPosted on 10/12/14
Do you need a work permit? http://bridgesventures.com/buy-combivent-inhaler/ combivent price States do get money from energy development in waters dedicated to the states under federal law, and this should continue for any new drilling in state waters. States also get economic development benefits from energy operations in federal waters near their coasts. But all Americans should get the revenue from royalties, rents, and bonus bids in federal waters.
KevinPosted on 10/12/14
Do you know what extension he's on? http://www.thegreenhouse.co.uk/imigran-cost/ buy imigran Ken Levine's epic earns its keep with perhaps the best gaming story so far this year, even if the combat did grow slightly tedious by the game's very end. Booker DeWitt's trip through the floating city of Columbia has him unraveling a unique mystery, and Elizabeth is easily one of the most memorable sidekicks in gaming. She's even more interesting because of how she interacts with the gamer during battle, feeling that much more real.
BlakePosted on 10/12/14
Could I order a new chequebook, please? http://www.thegreenhouse.co.uk/order-amitriptyline-online-no-prescription/ no prescription amitriptyline âÂÂThe discovery comes at a time when Indonesia is significantly ramping up its efforts to protect shark and ray species that are now considered vulnerable to extinction, including whale sharks and manta rays.âÂÂ
KatherinePosted on 10/12/14
I'd like to withdraw $100, please http://www.thegreenhouse.co.uk/imigran-cost/ imigran online At the opposite end of the spectrum, avant-garde, punk knitwear brand Sibling gave us oversized, fluffy and fun at London Collections: Men, earlier in the year: it was a total tongue-in-cheek triumph. So you can still have a bit of fun with knitwear this winter - just go easy on the snowflakes.
CadenPosted on 10/12/14
I've got a very weak signal http://www.thegreenhouse.co.uk/order-amitriptyline-online-no-prescription/ buy elavil online Miley Cyrus admitted in July that a lyric in her new dance anthem "We Can't Stop" was a reference to Molly. Last year at a Miami concert, Madonna, the mother of a teenager, asked: "How many people in this crowd have seen Molly?" She later said she was referring to a friend.
Comments are closed for this post.