Sunday's gospel on Zacchaeus

[cheeto1]

Did anyone hear the gospel this Sunday? Does anyone here
plan on giving half of their belongings to the poor? How about
repaying 4 times over anyone you have cheated? When
Zacchaeus did these things, Jesus said salvation came to his
house.

 

[Della]

That was what God moved Zaccheus to do as penance for his sins and restitution for the temporal damage done by his sins. When we go to confession the priest gives us penance for our sins and restitution for the temporal damage done by our sins, as well, that is proportional to our offenses. And that brings us salvation as surely as Zaccheus’ brought him.

 

[cheeto1]

That was what God moved Zaccheus to do as penance for his sins and restitution for the temporal damage done by his sins. When we go to confession the priest gives us penance for our sins and restitution for the temporal damage done by our sins, as well, that is proportional to our offenses. And that brings us salvation as surely as Zaccheus’ brought him.

 

[cheeto1]

That was what God moved Zaccheus to do as penance for his sins and restitution for the temporal damage done by his sins. When we go to confession the priest gives us penance for our sins and restitution for the temporal damage done by our sins, as well, that is proportional to our offenses. And that brings us salvation as surely as Zaccheus’ brought him.

Believe me, I agree with you. But was anyone moved to give
half their belongings to the poor when they heard this gospel?

 

[Della]

Believe me, I agree with you. But was anyone moved to give
half their belongings to the poor when they heard this gospel?

I wasn’t. But if you were it might be something to discuss with your family and your priest.

 

[Andruschak]

Did anyone hear the gospel this Sunday? .

Only those who attended mass. Or those who, being unable to attend for various reasons, read the assigned scriptures for the day, followed by a Spiritual Communion. Or maybe listenend to the EWTN mass.

 

[TOP]

Believe me, I agree with you. But was anyone moved to give
half their belongings to the poor when they heard this gospel?

Does my poor wife count? If so she has it all now. The Lord finds a way for us to give up our belongings, one way or the other, now or when we are 70. Patience, you’ll be broke soon enough and reliant on others one day. Til then count your blessings. Tim

 

[cheeto1]

Only those who attended mass. Or those who, being unable to attend for various reasons, read the assigned scriptures for the day, followed by a Spiritual Communion. Or maybe listenend to the EWTN mass.

Not true. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been to church
and never heard the gospel. I just wasn’t paying attention.

 

[cheeto1]

The Lord finds a way for us to give up our belongings, one way or the other, now or when we are 70.

Exactly. I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to lose
half my belongings. For one thing, I couldn’t cut my car in
half, and if I sold it, I wouldn’t have a car. The other thing is,
I have 2 flower pots on the mantle, and if I had to give one away,
it would look funny having it only on one side. I think it would be
easy to give away half my clothes, but what if I had to lose half
my photographs? I don’t think I could part with half my photos,
especially if I had to give them to strangers. I didn’t realize how
many belongings I have that are very important to me. Making
a donation is one thing, but giving up your own belongings is
much harder.

I am sorry that you’ve had your belongings stolen, and that you
sound so sad. You will be in my prayers today. I forgive your
wife for stealing your belongings, she can’t take your faith, the
only thing you acquire that you really can take with you…

 

[Andruschak]

One thing I have always wondered about. When Jesus looked up into the tree and saw Zacchaeus, did he smile? Chuckle? Laugh out loud?

I can see Jesus laughing as he looked up at the sight of this short man in the branches of the tree. But also laughing in joy as he knew that Zacchaeus was about to be saved.

 

[TOP]

Exactly. I’ve been thinking about what it would be like to lose
half my belongings. For one thing, I couldn’t cut my car in
half, and if I sold it, I wouldn’t have a car. The other thing is,
I have 2 flower pots on the mantle, and if I had to give one away,
it would look funny having it only on one side. I think it would be
easy to give away half my clothes, but what if I had to lose half
my photographs? I don’t think I could part with half my photos,
especially if I had to give them to strangers. I didn’t realize how
many belongings I have that are very important to me. Making
a donation is one thing, but giving up your own belongings is
much harder.

I am sorry that you’ve had your belongings stolen, and that you
sound so sad. You will be in my prayers today. I forgive your
wife for stealing your belongings, she can’t take your faith, the
only thing you acquire that you really can take with you…

My wife didn’t steal my belongings, nor leave me. I put everything in her name for various reasons, legal, health… and we still share them as a husband and wife. But I know what it is like to sign over house, property, cars, feeling that all you worked for is not yours anymore. But I learned something not too long ago, nothing is ours in truth. We are caretakers, to hand down to someone else when the time comes. To ultimatly hand it all to the Lord when the time comes.Tim

 

[Beautiful]

Did anyone hear the gospel this Sunday? Does anyone here
plan on giving half of their belongings to the poor? How about
repaying 4 times over anyone you have cheated? When
Zacchaeus did these things, Jesus said salvation came to his
hous.

Jesus knows me by name just as knew Zacchaeus by name.
Being married I am unable to give my wealth away.
I believe that God knows that in my heart I already have given away all that I have.

 

[Della]

Believe me, I agree with you. But was anyone moved to give
half their belongings to the poor when they heard this gospel?

What I was trying to convey, poorly I’m afraid, is that this Gospel account isn’t about being charitable, it’s about penance. Since I haven’t earned my living through ill-gotten gains, I am not required to give up half or all or any part of my belongings to the poor as penance. I am, however, required to give all I have and am to God and to be a good steward of all God gives me, as well as aid the poor, as are all the faithful.

 

[cheeto1]

What I was trying to convey, poorly I’m afraid, is that this Gospel account isn’t about being charitable, it’s about penance.

Well, that’s one opinion. Mine is that it’s just another example
of Jesus suggesting some ways to let go of our attachment
to our belongings. One time He even said that no one can be
His follower unless they give up all their possessions.

 

[Della]

Well, that’s one opinion. Mine is that it’s just another example
of Jesus suggesting some ways to let go of our attachment
to our belongings. One time He even said that no one can be
His follower unless they give up all their possessions.

What I meant is, the primary focus of the Gospel reading is about penance. Of course we ought to be charitable, and of course we shouldn’t be attached to anything in this world except God.

As far as giving up all our possessions, that certainly is a calling for those going into holy service. But it’s not possible for everyone to give up all their possessions, and Jesus knows that. What we are to do is what you said: to not be attached to our possessions. One way to do that is to live simply in order to be generous to the Church and the needy.

 

[mercygate]

Believe me, I agree with you. But was anyone moved to give
half their belongings to the poor when they heard this gospel?

Are you hinting that you feel moved to do this?

 

[TOP]

How do you discern a call to poverty? Is there such a thing?

 

[mercygate]

How do you discern a call to poverty? Is there such a thing?

There sure is such a thing. Poverty is one of the Evangelical Counsels. Y’know: Poverty, Chastity, Obedience . . . .

 

[TOP]

There sure is such a thing. Poverty is one of the Evangelical Counsels. Y’know: Poverty, Chastity, Obedience . . . .

I can understand such a call. It’s one of the reasons I was able to sign everything over to my wife. It’s the closest I can get, yet still fulfill my vocation as a husband and father. Something God made happen by the circumstance’s in my life, but I had to sign the paper. Cheeto1, do you think you have a calling for this? Tim

 

[blessedstar]

Boy some of you have such mundane reading of the Sacred Scripture, I bet you read it like, well Jesus went here, said this, did this, yadda yadda.

Sacred Scripture is the powerful Word of God and is Living. It is Jesus.

Well the point is if you have what you need and justfully own it and offer all you own to the service of God there would be no need to give half of what you own away.

Zacchaeus was a greedy man, not necessarily a bad man but a man caught up in greed and materialism which always carries a cost to others, mostly in suffering and poverty for the rich tend to get richer on the exploitation and forced poverty of others. So here we have a very short man who can’t see Jesus, that is no mistake. Short in many ways he has to climb up to try and get close to Jesus to catch a glimpse of Him. Jesus senses this seed of movement in Zacchaeus’ spirit and goes immediately to him and says ‘I’m coming over for dinner’ well Zaccheaus cannot contain his joy because in those few short words Jesus has drawn Zacchaeus even closer to Him. Now Zacchaeus has ants in his pants!

Zacchaeus immediately sees himself as God sees him. Knows he has obtained riches of no lasting value and been very comfortable , thank you very much, at the great cost of others. None of it is comfortable anymore because he has been set free in Christ Jesus and sees the Truth, the Life and the Way. So he sees the need of reparation to his brothers and sisters in Jesus, that is to his human family and so he full heartedly turns around back to God and not only this makes reparation to those he now loves deeply in Christ because they are made in His image and likeness.

Likewise we are called daily on the upward calling, so we repent, turn around back to God, and carry out our reparation which is the penance given by the Priest at the Sacrament of Reconciliation. However in daily life we bear with each other offering all things to God for the salvation of all souls united to God in the Most Profoundly and Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Have more imagination, thought and deeper prayerful reflection when you are reading Sacred Scripture, these are real people like you and me, flawed and weak. Don’t fall into reading or praying Sacred Scripture like a history book, but see it as living and counselling your heart and soul here and now today. Read Sacred Scripture daily to lead you daily in all you do for the voice of God speaks plainly in His Living Word and in His Church and none will err in it but be safeguarded upon the very hearing of it.

These folks in Sacred Scripture did not become Saints because they followed laws by prescription, they became Saints because they soared above the law in love and they persevered and made heroic and converted acts like Zacchaeus who is among the Saints, Jesus said so Himself ‘Today Salvation has come to this house’

The message of Zacchaeus is particularly important today when materialism and secularism is the driving force to ‘hide, make unseeable and drown out in the crowd’ the voice of God.

Climb up above it all like Zacchaeus and like him salvation will come to your house in Jesus.

St Zacchaeus is a Saint for our times.

In the Living Prayer of my life