Texts taken from the Missalette “On Your Word” September-October 2022

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
3rd week, psalter

FIRST READING

From the Book of Wisdom (Wis 11:22 – 12:2)
Lord, the whole world before you is like dust on the scales, like a drop of morning dew fallen upon the earth. You have mercy on all, because you can do everything, and you overlook people’s sins, so that they may repent. For you love all things that exist and detest none of the things you have made; for if you had hated something, you would not have formed it. How could anything endure, if you had not willed it? Could anything be preserved if it had not been called into existence by you? But you are merciful to all, for all things are yours, Lord, lover of life. For your imperishable spirit is in all things. Therefore you correct little by little those who trespass, and you admonish and remind them of the things through which they sin, so that, set free from wickedness, they may believe in you, Lord. – The Word of the Lord.

Reflection on the First Reading

“You have mercy on all… Lord, lover of life.” One could spend days and days contemplating just these words, which express the true God, the authentic Father of Jesus Christ. How many times, throughout the Gospel narratives, do we find Jesus having compassion for the sick and for the crowds who need to be fed… If someone who was not a Christian asked us to describe our God, what would we say? Some might cling to distant memories from catechism classes; others might recount passages from Sacred Scripture, especially those heard recently; we priests might perhaps feel perfectly prepared with grand speeches filled with philosophy and theology. But what if, instead, we rediscovered the delicate power of the word “compassion”? Literally, it means “to suffer with.” Yes, all the suffering that we perceive as truly our own, the suffering that tears at our hearts, is also God’s suffering. The Lord is close to us, drawing near to us at every moment, including the most difficult ones. But that is not all. God the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are beside us in every joy of life.

SECOND READING

From the second letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Thessalonians (2 Thess 1:11 – 2:2)
Brothers and sisters, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and, by his power, bring to fulfillment every good purpose and the work of your faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Regarding the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together with him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or by a word or by a letter supposedly from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. – The Word of the Lord.

Reflection on the Second Reading

Paul acknowledges that he offers unceasing prayer for all the Christian communities, certainly with particular concern for those he founded or knew. “May the name of our Lord Jesus be glorified in you, and you in him.” The glory of God reaches as far as illuminating, transforming, and completely changing human existence. On the other hand, the life of every man and woman can truly become a glorification of God. This does not happen through learned speech, but by offering an effective witness. It is precisely through our concrete lives and the choices we make each day that we can give glory to God. Let us humbly try, through simple and authentic actions, to reflect the glory we have received from God. “We ask you, brothers and sisters, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or by a word,” which recklessly announces the Lord’s return. In Paul’s time as in ours, how many prophets of doom there are! How many take advantage of simple, good-faith souls and instill in them fear of God! Fear of God is not terror, but love.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 19:1-10)
At that time, Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it, and behold, a man named Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector and wealthy, was trying to see who Jesus was, but he could not because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him: “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” So he came down quickly and welcomed him with joy. When they saw this, everyone 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, Lord, I shall give half of my possessions 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 son of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” – The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection on the Gospel of the Day

Jesus enters and passes through Jericho, accompanied by the crowd. But the evangelist Luke focuses on a single character: Zacchaeus. From what follows, we understand that he was rich and a thief, but what matters above all is the intention now rooted in his heart: he wants to see Jesus! This is a desire, a longing, a hope, a need shared by so many men and women even today. Jesus is not physically present on our streets, but we Christians are; the entire Church is. Not understood only as the Pope, bishops, priests, religious men and women, but all the baptized, every family and community. Even in 2022, through countless people and occasions, Jesus continues to make this effective invitation: “Come down quickly; today I want to stay at your house.” Through me, through you. And here are the two contrasting reactions: everyone grumbles against Jesus and his choice to treat Zacchaeus as a lost child who is about to be found. And Zacchaeus makes a decisive conversion. Before judging others without mercy, let us try to perform that gesture of welcome and mercy that can open the heart even of one who is lost.