Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C - 30th October 2022
Gospel Luke 19: 1–10
Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town, when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: ‘Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.’ And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount.’ 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 out and save what was lost’.
Gospel Reflection from St Beuno's Outreach
I let my mind and body settle gently, and without hurry. I become aware of God’s loving gaze on me, and ask the Holy Spirit to be beside me in my prayer, helping me to open my heart to whatever God wants me to hear today.
I may like to enter into this familiar story in my imagination. Perhaps I put myself in Zacchaeus’s shoes, desperately trying to get a better look at Jesus. Frustrated by the depth of the crowd, I scramble up into the branches of a tree to get a better view. I’ve been so longing to know more about this man, Jesus. How does it feel to hear him call me, as he notices me clinging to the branch? What joy fills my heart as Jesus says he must stay at my house?
Leaving Zacchaeus clambering down from the tree, I reflect on how it feels to know that Jesus sees me too, and desires to be with me in my house today and every day, regardless of how unworthy I might think I am.
Zacchaeus’s stature and the depth of the crowd prevent him from seeing Jesus. I reflect on this. What stands in the way of my relationship with Jesus? What can I do to get past that? Taking as long as I need, I talk to Jesus about this as one friend to another.
I draw my prayer to a close, thanking the Lord for his presence in whatever words feel right.
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