Sunday, November 04, 2007

The Guest Who Transforms

Message from Fr. Jose Koluthara, CMI

Today’s Gospel (Lk. 19:1-10) with its story of Zacchaeus, offers the praying assembly an opportunity to be with a guest who transforms. Jesus is the guest who comes to dinner and Zacchaeus is the one in whom tremendous changes will take place. As Paul Scherer has pointed out in his article “the Gospel according to Luke”, the whole impact of the Gospel was in that meeting. It redeemed the past, transformed the present and redirected the future. Jesus’ acceptance of Zacchaeus, despite his sinfulness, prompted him to change his mind, his ways, his life. He resolved to make amends, he would make restitution for wrong doing – he would give generously to the poor. So great was the conversion of Zacchaeus that Jesus declared him a son of Abraham. He had been lost, but in welcoming Jesus into his home and into his life, he was found. “Today”, Jesus declared, “Salvation has come to this house!”.

Each day of our lives, the experience afforded to Zacchaeus is also afforded to us. Each day, in so many ways, through so many people and circumstances, Jesus says to us, “I mean to stay at your house today”.

Each day, Jesus affirms God’s love for us and for all that God has created. Love, not loathing, is God’s manner of dealing with us, the Wisdom author (1st reading, Wisdom 11:22-12:2) reminds us. Mercy and forgiveness are the ways of God, who overlooks sin and allows time for repentance and returning to the truth. Each day, in countless ways, Jesus reminds us that he is the guest who wishes to “come to dinner". In his coming, he will create the graced atmosphere in which we can, like Zacchaeus , change our lives for the better. Jesus is a self-invited guest who will also become the host - when we welcome him into the home of our hearts and lives, he will feed and nourish our needs and desires.

The food he gives us is the Bread of his Word. It teaches, comforts, challenges and when needed, chastises us. He also gives us as food the Bread of his very self, blessed by God, broken in suffering on the cross and given freely and fully in the redemption of sinners.

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