Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

In my parish in Kingston, Jamaica, each year on Good Friday, we would do the Stations of the Cross through the streets of the Church’s neighborhood. We would have the drum corps lead us from station to station, and at each station, we would stop and sing, and say the prayers for the station. Then we would move on to the next station. And all along our route, the people would come out of their houses to see what was happening. And some of them would climb trees and fences to get a better look. And we would hand out brochures explaining what was going on and inviting them to the church for Holy Week.

So, I am not surprised that Zacchaeus climbed a tree to get a look at Jesus. I suspect he was not the only one climbing a tree or a wall to get a look. What is surprising is that Jesus noticed him, and singled him out from all the others who were looking on. But then, Jesus saw something more in Zacchaeus than idle curiosity. Jesus saw a search for something more, an opportunity for conversion. And Jesus moved in on that opening.

From this we can see that Jesus is always near us, waiting for any opening we give him to draw us closer to himself and deeper into holiness. On our part, we should always try to be more open to his presence near us, and give him those opportunities to call us closer, as he did Zacchaeus.

Reflection by Fr. Aquinas Keusenkothen, OSB