Reading 1
Wis 11:22-12:2
Before the LORD the whole universe is as a grain from a balance
or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.
But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;
and you overlook people's sins that they may repent.
For you love all things that are
and loathe nothing that you have made;
for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.
And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?
But you spare all things, because they are yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little,
warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,
that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!
Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14
Responsorial PsalmR. (cf. 1)
I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
R. I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
Reading 2
2 Thes 1:11-2:2
Brothers and sisters:
We always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling
and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose
and every effort of faith,
that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,
and you in him,
in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.
We ask you, brothers and sisters,
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be alarmed
either by a "spirit," or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
Gospel
Lk 19:1-10
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."
Meditation: Luke 19:1-10
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly.” (Luke 19:5)
Most of the Jews in Jericho probably thought of Zacchaeus as a lost cause. Once a faithful son of Abraham, he had become a senior tax collector, making money through corruption and extortion. Was there any hope for his redemption?
Absolutely! At one invitation from Jesus, he gave up half his wealth and promised to pay back fourfold anyone he had cheated. What caused such a turnaround? Isn’t it possible that despite his reputation, there were still some people in Jericho who were praying for him? Isn’t it possible that there were some who looked upon him with compassion and mercy, not judgment and recrimination? And their prayers, ascending to heaven on his behalf, helped soften Zacchaeus’ heart so that he could turn away from his sins and try to make restitution.
Have you ever felt a sudden need to pray for someone? Or has someone’s situation moved you to pray for him or her on a regular basis? Most likely, that’s not your own idea but the Holy Spirit prompting you. We may think it’s an impossible case, but something still stirs us to pray. And when there is prayer, there is power. God can break through even the hardest heart—maybe not in the way we expect or in our time, but he will act.
Remember St. Augustine. His mother prayed for him for years before he had a genuine conversion. How do you think Augustine would have turned out if she had given up? It’s possible that he would have come to the Lord on his own, but probably much later and in very different circumstances.
Prayer is powerful, and persistent prayer is unbeatable. May we never lose sight of this special privilege we have all been given: the privilege of working with God as he changes people’s lives!
“Jesus, help me to hear your Spirit’s voice when he moves me to pray for someone. May I never give up hope! Who knows? Maybe the next St. Augustine could be touched because of my intercession!”
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