Homily for the week of October 31, 2010

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2010

Wisdom 11:22--12:1

Psalms 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14

2 Thessalonians 1:11--2:2

Luke 19:1-10

Today, like last Sunday, Jesus tells us a story about a tax collector. His name is Zaccheaus. He is a short guy who wants to see Jesus. He lived and was a tax collector in Jericho, not the Jericho on the Rand Hill Road, but Jericho which is about 23 miles from Jerusalem. Jericho was a very wealthy city. It is perhaps the oldest city in the world dating to about 3500 years ago, and the lowest city on earth at 770 feet below sea level. It was known for its palm trees and also for the balsam groves. It was said that the smell of balsam perfumed the air for miles around Jericho. Like last Sunday’s Bible story Jesus seemed to be hanging out with people considered unacceptable by the rest of the community, especially by the religious leaders. Jericho also had luxurious villas, spas and healing waters, and was the vacation resort for the wealthy Jews and Romans. Also, Jesus may have wanted to move quickly past Jericho because the Herodians, who wanted to kill him, had winter palaces there. The people who could afford to live or vacation in Jericho were not the sort who were looking for what Jesus had to offer.

Persons who lived in Jericho had the fattest wallets. Zacchaeus was one of these persons. Zacchaeus had become rich himself by being the chief tax collector. He had filled his own pockets with money extorted in his work. But he was also hated. He collected taxes for the Roman military government which was occupying Palestine. .

But Zacchaeus was missing something. He was missing someone. Despite his great wealth and his important position in the government, Zacchaeus was poor, and he knew it. He was a prisoner of his self-centered life, but he was looking for someone to set him free. In an instant Zacchaeus risks the social stature he has so carefully built up. Small in physical stature, he acts in a most undignified way, racing ahead of the crowd and climbing a sycamore tree which lined the streets of Jericho. When Jesus sees how far out on a limb Zacchaeus has gone, Jesus calls out to him: COME DOWN QUICKLY, FOR TODAY I MUST STAY AT YOUR HOUSE. Grumbling and criticism of Jesus for staying with a sinner immediately follow. But the risk Jesus takes for Zacchaeus is worth it. And Zacchaeus came down the tree.

But when Jesus reached out to him, Zacchaeus changed. Once at his house Zacchaeus confesses to Jesus. He wasn’t the bad person everyone thought he was. His wealth was not an obstacle to holiness. He gave half of his possessions to the poor. If he had extorted money from anyone he would give 4 times what he might have taken. Jesus does not ask Zacchaeus to leave behind his profession nor to give away the rest of his possessions. Rather, he meets him in the place of his seeking and opens up a saving way forward within his circumstances.

Might there be a little Zaccheaus in each of us?. Though Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, it is Jesus who sees him first, and invites himself to his house. In seeking to find Jesus we are often found by him. Jesus often told us that he came to seek and to find the lost. But Zacchaeus is also found because he was willing to be laughed at by others. Jesus celebrates a conversion. Zacchaeus is praised by Jesus, not necessarily for practicing any particular Christian virtue, but by living up to the Law of Moses and Abraham.

Like Zaccheaus each of us are wealthy in many significant ways--in our life and talents, in our opportunities, in our friendships, in our Catholic faith. And so we need to ask ourselves whether we are as generous as was Zacchaeus in using our gifts. Most people did not like Zaccheaus. But Jesus recognized something good in him. How do we treat those we do not like? or who may have different opinions than we have? Some kids treat these persons by bullying them. Do we ever use our strength and power to intimidate others?

It should also be noted that Zacchaeus , this little fellow, knew that somehow his life was incomplete without Jesus. And he did not allow his short stature to become an excuse for not seeking Jesus. Jesus wants to be a guest in all our houses. Our desire to welcome him will easily cancel any feelings of unworthiness that may hold us back.

Each day is the “today” of Jesus’ inviting Himself into our lives.

When we gather at the Table of the Lord, it becomes our Table of Welcome. Jesus welcomes us back from whatever distance we have wandered. He welcomes us back to the relationship with His sisters and brothers. Jesus welcomes us back to who we really are in God’s eyes and invites us to see ourselves anew and live that newness.

This weekend is also a time when Americans celebrated Halloween, or All Saints Eve. Halloween is derived from a festival in Ireland that celebrated the end of summer. It was called the Celtic New Year because of the shortening of daylight at this time of year. It was believed that on this day the border or wall between this world and the “other world” was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through. Some were harmful spirits, but many were good spirits, so households prepared celebrations for the good spirits that they hoped would come to their homes. Because this time of year was harvest time, produce such as turnips, corn and wheat became symbols of the feast. The colors black was for the evil spirits and orange for the protective bonfires.

The evil spirits had to be driven away. Turnips were carved into votive candle holders and placed in windows to scare off the evil spirits. Masks and costumes were also worn to scare away the bad spirits. As the Irish traditions entered the United States, pumpkins, replaced turnips. As Ireland was converted to Christianity, the Church did what it was good at. It used the existing festival, baptized it, and turned it into a way to teach tenets of the Christian faith. Thus we ended up celebrating All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

Perhaps this annual celebration can suggest a few things to us. The first is that, while a pagan celebration became a Christian celebration, that Christian celebration has now become a secular celebration. How many others celebrations have we let the secular world take over? We certainly see the secularization of Christmas and the slower but still obvious secularization of Easter. What originated as a thanksgiving celebration for a good harvest and for the saints is now an occasion for horror movies, haunted houses, and by many parties for adults that can get out of control. How do we again use it to teach our children about our beloved dead, the saints? How do we again show gratitude for the harvest given to us by God and welcome the saints into our homes?