Daily Reflection – Oct 30, 2016
Sunday 30 October 2016
First Reading: Wisdom 11:22-12:2
Responsorial Psalm:
I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God
Psalm 144(145):1-2, 8-11, 13-14
Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2
Gospel Reading: Luke 19:1-10
Today’s Note: Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Gospel Reading:
At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they all saw this, they 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, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give 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 descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”
Reflection:
The Lord is gracious and merciful. (Psalm 145:8)
From the general audience of Pope Francis, January 13, 2016:
“In Sacred Scripture, the Lord is presented as a ‘merciful God.’ This is his name, through which he unveils, so to speak, his face and his heart to us. As the Book of Exodus recounts, on revealing himself to Moses he defined himself in this way: ‘the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness’ (Exodus 34:6). . . .
“The Lord is ‘merciful’: this word evokes a tender approach like that of a mother toward her child. . . . The image it suggests is that of a God who is moved and who softens for us like a mother when she takes her child in her arms, wanting only to love, protect, help, ready to give everything, even herself. . . .
“It is also said of this merciful God that he is ‘slow to anger.’ . . . God knows how to wait, his time is not the impatient one of man; he is like the wise farmer who knows how to wait, allowing time for the good seed to grow, in spite of the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30).
“Lastly, the Lord proclaims himself ‘abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.’ How beautiful this definition of God is! . . . The word ‘love,’ used here, indicates affection, grace, goodness. It is not soap opera love. It is love which takes the first step, which does not depend on human merit but on immense gratuitousness. It is divine solicitude that . . . is able to go beyond sin, to overcome evil and forgive it.
“Abounding in ‘faithfulness’: this is the final word of God’s revelation to Moses. . . . Faithfulness in mercy is the very being of God. For this reason God is totally and always trustworthy. . . . This is the assurance of our faith. Thus, in this Jubilee of Mercy, let us entrust ourselves to him totally, and experience the joy of being loved by this ‘God who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness.’”
“Father God, thank you for being so loving and merciful toward me.”
