The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb"
(Lk 1:42).

Sunday Gospel Reflections

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Reading I: Wisdom 11:22-12:2 II: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2

Gospel
Luke 19:1-10

¹ He entered Jericho and was passing through.
² And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich.
³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature.
⁴ So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was to pass that way.
⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today."
⁶ So he made haste and came down, and received him joyfully.
⁷ And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner."
⁸ And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold."
⁹ And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
¹⁰ For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."

Interesting Details

Setting: in 18:18-23, a rich, respected and apparently righteous person went away in sorrow. In contrast, the rich and despised Zacchaeus was joyful. Jesus saw through them both and restored honor to the latter.
Toll collectors, like Zacchaeus, bid for the right to collect tolls, paid for this right in full, then hired agents to collect the tolls from the people. Not all collectors were able to make profits.
The word “Zacchaeus” is related to Hebrew terms meaning clean, pure, and innocent.
v. 3 “[Zacchaeus] was trying to see” and v. 10 “The Son of Man came to seek”-- Zacchaeus seeks, but at the same time God seeks and saves him.
v. 5 “I must stay in your house today”-previously Jesus instructed his disciples to remain at the host’s house (9:4), to give people a chance to accept the kingdom. That event happens “today” (also in v. 9 and many other passages in Luke and Acts), indicating a significant turning point by God.
v. 6 “joyfully”-the messianic joy is often associated with repentance, as in 15:5.
v. 7 “everyone... began grumbling”-including the disciples, not just the disagreeable Pharisees.
v. 8 “I am giving... to the poor”-the present tense indicates a regular action, not just one time. Giving alms in a sign of righteousness in Luke. He might have been doing this regularly even before meeting Jesus. If so, what Jesus gave was the recognition of his worth, as “a child of Abraham,” and thus his all-important honor.
v. 8 “If I have cheated... fourfold restitution”-“if” probably implies that he did not cheat intentionally, though he might discover that it happened. The laws demanded 120% restitution for stolen goods, or 400% only in the most severe cases. Zacchaeus embraced the strictest standard.

One Main Point

Jesus seeks us, sees us, and saves us. In repentance, we give alms and find joy even when the whole world is against us.

Reflections

Jesus sees through me. What does he see?
Have I ever felt that people judge me unfairly? In such cases, does Jesus bring me joy?
Dare I be like Jesus and recognize another person’s goodness even when everyone grumbles against such recognition?

Catholic Culture

Ordinary Time: November 3rd

Thirty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

November 03, 2019 (Readings on USCCB website)

COLLECT PRAYER

Almighty and merciful God, by whose gift your faithful offer you right and praiseworthy service, grant, we pray, that we may hasten without stumbling to receive the things you have promised. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

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Old Calendar: Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost

As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted (Mt 23:8-12)."

The feast of St. Martin de Porres, which is ordinarily celebrated today, is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.

Click here for commentary on the readings in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite.

Sunday Readings
The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10. This reading states that this is a people who had wandered from the way of belief in God. The prophet chastises and threatens the priests of the temple.

The second reading is from the first Letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13. St. Paul is especially grateful that the Thessalonians received the word as from God, not men. The preacher of the word of God is well aware of his responsibility in proclaiming and preaching that word for he asks in the prayer before the gospel that the Lord will cleanse his heart and lips as he did Isaiah's for he is aware that it is God's word that is to be preached, not his own, or on his own terms. —Excerpted from A Celebrants Guide to the New Sacramentary - A Cycle by Kevin W. Irwin

The Gospel is from the Gospel of Matthew 23:1-12. As this picture of the Pharisees is painted by none other than Christ himself, we can have no doubt but that the description given is the truth and nothing but the truth. In spite of their great knowledge of "the law and the prophets"—the divine revelation God had given to the Chosen People—and of their many strict observances of that law, they were not pleasing to God. All their good works and all their learning were spoiled by the vice of pride which made them seek earthly glory for themselves and prevented them from giving glory or thanks to God. Their religion was an empty external cloak which they used to attract attention and honor to themselves. Internally, they were so full of their own importance that there was no room for God in their hearts.

Our divine Lord warned his disciples, and through them all of us, to avoid that pernicious vice of pride. It should not be hard for any true Christian to avoid this vice. We know that every material and spiritual talent we have has been given us by God, so we must give glory to God for any gifts we possess and not to ourselves. St. Paul reminds us of this fact when he asks us: "What have you that you have not received, and if you have received it why glory in it as if it were your own?" We owe everything we have to God and we should use all the gifts he has given us for his honor and glory, and for that purpose alone.

Do we always do this? Are we never tempted to look down on our less fortunate brothers? If we have got on well in our temporal affairs do we attribute our success to our own skill and hard work or do we thank God for the opportunities he gave to us and not to others. If, aided by God's grace, we are keeping his commandments, do we show contempt for those who give in to temptations which we did not have to meet? The best of us can profit from an examination of conscience along these lines. If our external observance of the Christian rule of life is motivated solely by love and gratitude to God all is well. But if our hearts are far from God and our motives in our religious behavior is self-glorification, we are in a dangerous position. The sinners and harlots of Christ's day repented and were received into his kingdom; the Pharisees, unable to repent, were left outside.

Excerpted from The Sunday Readings by Fr. Kevin O'Sullivan, O.F.M.

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Luke 19:1-10

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today salvation has come to this house. (Luke 19:9)

Today’s Gospel paints a vivid picture of Zacchaeus the tax collector—wealthy, despised, and also very short—trying unsuccessfully to see through a crowd. He climbs a tree just to get a look at Jesus. It must have been an astonishing and amusing sight to see such a prominent person doing something so silly. You can just imagine the grin on Jesus’ face as he looks up and sees Zacchaeus’ irrepressible, childlike enthusiasm. Then that enthusiasm turns to joy when Jesus invites himself to Zacchaeus’ house. Inspired by Jesus’ warm words of acceptance, Zacchaeus promises to give half of his wealth to the poor and more than repay the people he has extorted.

So did Zacchaeus follow up on this bold promise? We’ll never know since he is not mentioned again.

After Jesus moved on, the hard work would have begun for Zacchaeus. If he gave away his money, he would have to learn how to live with less. He would have to fight the temptation to return to his dishonest methods of collecting taxes. He would have to earn the trust and friendship of his fellow townsfolk. Surely all of this was less fun than that initial life-altering encounter with Jesus. He may have had trouble maintaining his enthusiasm.

It’s okay to not always feel excited about life as a follower of Jesus. Our faith journey can be like a long, successful marriage that starts out with the magic and passion of an early romance and develops into something calmer but deeper and more meaningful. There’s no getting around the fact that our relationship with Jesus requires hard work sometimes. But it’s good to know that he is always with us, ready to give us the grace we need.

Our attempts to follow Jesus don’t have to be big, splashy gestures like Zacchaeus’ initial response. Change will be gradual, and there will be setbacks, but with Jesus’ help, our efforts will bear fruit.

“Jesus, help me to follow you with childlike trust.”

Wisdom 11:22–12:2
Psalm 145: 1-2, 8-11, 13-14
2 Thessalonians 1:11–2:2

A Christian Pilgrim

THE STORY OF ZACCHAEUS, THE CHIEF TAX COLLECTOR

(Biblical reflection on the 31st Ordinary Sunday [Year C] – 3 November 2019)

Gospel Reading: Luke 19:1-10

First Reading: Wisdom 11:22-12:2; Psalms: Psalm 145:1-2,8-11,13-14; Second Reading: 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2

Scripture Text:

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man name Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And He sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to Him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So he made haste and came down and received Him joyfully. And when they saw it they all murmured, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded any one of anything, I restore if fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10 RSV)

Believing God was their king, the Jewish people thought their tax money should pay for the upkeep of God’s house, the Temple. Unfortunately, the Roman emperor did not agree with them and used Jewish tax money for building projects throughout the Roman empire. These projects included not only roads and acqueducts in distant lands but also pagan temples to Roman gods; therefore, most pious Jews were greatly upset over how the emperor was using their money.

To make matters worse, the emperor also claimed to be a god. This made paying taxes even more objectionable for most Jews because to do so willingly was just like worshipping a false god, a clear violation of the first commandment.

zakheus-004

Oftentimes, Roman officials awarded contracts to foreigners who bid the highest for the privilege of collecting taxes in certain regions. The foreigners then hired local men to do the actual collecting. The Jews called these tax collectors “publicans” and considered any Jew who became a publican the worst kind of sinner because he was helping the emperor steal from God. Other Jews would have nothing to do with such a traitor.

Since a publican had to pay any taxes not collected, he often collected more than he was supposed to, anticipating that some people in his territory would not pay him. The publican either pocketed anything left over after meeting his quota or used the excess to bribe his bosses into giving him a more lucrative territory in which to collect. Thus Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in today’s Gospel, may have bribed his way to his position and then accepted bribes from the publicans who worked from him.

Zacchaeus’ response to Jesus is interesting. According to Jewish law, anyone who steals from someone else and then voluntarily admits it and offers to pay restitution, must pay back what he stole plus twenty percent. The penalty was more if the person did not admit it but was found guilty (Leviticus 6:5; Numbers 5:7). By offering to pay back fourfold and promising to give half of what he owns to the poor, Zacchaeus goes beyond what the law expects of him and shows how sincere he really is.

Not only does Jesus say He will dine with Zacchaeus but He also calls him a son of Abraham, a fancy way of identifying him as a faithful Jew. Jesus was willing to forget about Zacchaeus’ past and wipe his slate clean, giving Zacchaeus a chance of a new beginning.

For Reflection: Do you forgive and forget as Jesus did or do you have the memory of an elephant? Ask Jesus to teach you to forgive as He forgave Zacchaeus so you can give someone a chance to start anew.

(Adapted from Jerome J. Sabatowich, Cycling Through the Gospels – Gospel Commentaries for Cycles A, B, and C, pages 330-331.)

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you for the great gift of salvation You have given me. May I never take this gift for granted. May I never become complacent in my love for you or in my service for other people. Today I want to make a return to You, dear Lord, for all that You have done for me. Amen.

Christ Will Be Passing By

Pastor’s Column

31^st Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 3, 2019

You and I live in Jericho and Christ is passing by. Last week we heard about a lowly tax collector who prostrated himself on the ground. His only prayer was, O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And we have another tax-collector again this Sunday (Luke 19:1-10).

Our friend Zacchaeus has a lot of strikes against him. He is not a well-liked man in town—it goes with the job. He wants to get a glimpse of Jesus but the crowd is too thick. And the worst part of all – Zacchaeus is really SHORT. But for Zacchaeus being short is actually his greatest asset – he has to do something or he’s not going to see or hear anything … so he climbs a tree, which must have looked ridiculous! He must have also attracted a lot of attention. Most importantly, he attracted Jesus’ attention.

Most people in this world tend to see life from a Jericho, or earthly perspective. We can’t help it! We’re short, after all, so to speak. What we need to do is to find a tree to climb so we can really see what is going on. If we live and see and act only in Jericho, only from an earthly perspective, we are going to miss all the action. Christ is liable to walk right through our life and we won’t recognize him or the opportunity of the present moment.

When we listen to the Church, when we listen to the scriptures, we are like Zacchaeus climbing a tree, and we receive the grace to see what the vast majority of people who live only on an earthly plane cannot possibly see – we catch a glimpse of what life is meant to be all about. Listening to the Lord allows us to gain the divine perspective in our lives. From that tree, that vantage point, we are able to see where Christ is going. We see who he is. We see where we are going. We find purpose in life. We discover that we are loved. We discover that, yes, Christ really does want to come to my house today.

What tree is God calling you to climb? He wants you to gain the divine perspective on what’s happening in our world right now. I believe we are very, very off track in this world – economically, spiritually, morally because too many people don’t bother to listen to God anymore.

This world, in general, may or may not be on the wrong track but my life does not have to be. For we all live in Jericho. I can choose to stay on the flat plane and do and see what everyone else does and sees; and nothing will change and Christ will pass by. Or I can be like Zacchaeus; I can take the risk. I can climb that tree God is calling me to climb. I may just gain the divine perspective in the process.

Father Gary

Reflections from Scott Hahn

Lover of Souls: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Download Audio File

Zacchaeus and Christ, c. 1170

Readings:
Wisdom 11:22–12:2
Psalm 145:1–2, 8–11, 13–14
2 Thessalonians 1:11–2:2
Luke 19:1–10

Our Lord is a lover of souls, the Liturgy shows us today. As we sing in today’s Psalm, He is slow to anger and compassionate toward all that He has made.

In His mercy, our First Reading tells us, He overlooks our sins and ignorance, giving us space that we might repent and not perish in our sinfulness (see Wisdom 12:10; 2 Peter 3:9).

In Jesus, He has become the Savior of His children, coming Himself to save the lost (see Isaiah 63:8–9; Ezekiel 34:16).

In the figure of Zacchaeus in today’s Gospel, we have a portrait of a lost soul. He is a tax collector, by profession a “sinner” excluded from Israel’s religious life. Not only that, he is a “chief tax collector.” Worse still, he is a rich man who has apparently gained his living by fraud.

But Zacchaeus’ faith brings salvation to his house. He expresses his faith in his fervent desire to “see” Jesus, even humbling himself to climb a tree just to watch Him pass by. While those of loftier religious stature react to Jesus with grumbling, Zacchaeus receives Him with joy.

Zacchaeus is not like the other rich men Jesus meets or tells stories about (see Luke 12:16–21; 16:19–31; 18:18–25). He repents, vowing to pay restitution to those he has cheated and to give half of his money to the poor.

By his humility he is exalted, made worthy to welcome the Lord into his house. By his faith he is justified, made a descendant of Abraham (see Romans 4:16–17).

As He did last week, Jesus is again using a tax collector to show us the faith and humility we need to obtain salvation.

We are also called to seek Jesus daily with repentant hearts. And we should make our own Paul’s prayer in today’s Epistle: that God might make us worthy of His calling, that by our lives we might give glory to the name of Jesus.

Regnum Christi

November 3, 2019 – The Little Man in a Tree

03 Nov 2019

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Father Steven Reilly, LC

Luke 19: 1-10

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” So, he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

Introductory Prayer: Oh God, thank you for allowing me to come into your presence. Your love enlarges my soul. I long to see your face! I come to this prayer with a thirst to just be in your presence, relax under your loving gaze. May my presence here be an expression of my love for you.

Petition: Lord, help me to overcome obstacles in my spiritual life.

Climbing Trees: What a sight it must have been — that rotund, little figure scampering up the tree. The astonished onlookers must have guffawed and whistled at the chief tax collector tossing his dignity to the winds as he huffed and puffed getting up that sycamore. Zacchaeus was nothing if not persistent. He was used to overcoming obstacles as he fleeced the taxpayers of Jericho. But now his worldly skills were directed in a far different way: He wanted to see Jesus! If only we showed half as much persistence in pursuing our spiritual goals as we do our secular ones. When we really, really want something, we can push, pull and tug to make sure that we get over, around or under the obstacle that impedes our desires. But when it’s a question of our prayer life, something as simple as a change in schedule can seem insurmountable. Let’s yearn to see Christ! If we truly long for his love, we will even climb trees to get it!
Called by Name: When the people looked at Zacchaeus in the tree, they saw a hated enemy, to be laughed at with scorn. When Jesus looked at Zacchaeus in the tree, he saw a soul with potential, to be called with love. Jesus’ ability to read hearts enabled him to see the whole picture of Zacchaeus. Yes, money had been his driving motivation, but there was an openness in his heart that would be good soil for the seed. Jesus invited himself over for dinner; Zacchaeus would have never imagined doing it himself. The Lord was not embarrassed by Zacchaeus, and like the privileged souls of his closest disciples, he called him by name. He wants to call us, too!
Christ’s Credibility: The people began to grumble about Jesus — how could he spend time with such a sinner? His credibility is put to the test. Zacchaeus’ response is proof to others that the way of righteousness proclaimed by Jesus is true and real. Jesus cured lepers, made the cripple walk and even raised the dead, but the dramatic conversions of great sinners must have been the most astounding of his miracles. It was harder NOT to believe Jesus in the face of such evidence. As Catholics, we have to be proof, too, of the credibility of Christ working through the Church. When our lives shine with charity and self-denial, we are living proof that the graces received through the Eucharist (and all the other sacraments and blessings we have as Catholics) are real.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, what joy you received through Zacchaeus’ conversion. He responded fully to your grace. At times, I can drag my feet even when I feel you calling me to another step forward in my spiritual life. Help me to be generous, so that other souls will see how wonderful it is to follow you!

Resolution: I will strive to overcome all obstacles to my prayer life today.

One Bread, One Body

Language: English | Espanol

All Issues > Volume 35, Issue 6

<< Sunday, November 3, 2019 >>

31st Sunday Ordinary Time

Wisdom 11:22�12:2
2 Thessalonians 1:11�2:2
View Readings

Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11, 13-14
Luke 19:1-10
Similar Reflections

MERCY OVER JUSTICE (JAS 2:13)

"You have mercy on all, because You can do all things; and You overlook the sins of men that they may repent." �Wisdom 11:23

Before we sin, the devil tells us that sin is "no big deal," life is trivial, and guilt is an unnecessary hang-up. After we sin, the devil changes his tune and then tells us that we should be ashamed of ourselves, that we are monsters and perverts, and that we can't expect to be forgiven.

In contrast, the Lord tells us of His mercy. Paul proclaimed: "You can depend on this as worthy of full acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I myself am the worst. But on that very account I was dealt with mercifully" (1 Tm 1:15-16). The psalmist rejoiced that the Lord's mercy was everlasting (Ps 136). As much as the Lord desires sacrifice, He desires mercy even more (Mt 9:13; 12:7). He so desires to show us mercy that He suffered and died, thereby meeting the demands of justice and opening the door for mercy.

Therefore, the Church repeatedly leads us to ask the Lord, the Lamb of God, to have mercy on us. The Lord wants to extend His mercy to all: the ashamed, the hated, abortionists, sexual perverts, murderers, rapists, and even us. Accept the grace to go to Confession as soon as possible. Pray: "Lord, have mercy."

Prayer: Lord, by Your grace may I be merciful to those who continue to hurt me (see Mt 5:7).

Promise: "Today salvation has come to this house." —Lk 19:9

Praise: "We know that Christ, once raised from the dead, will never die again; death has no more power over him" (Rm 6:9).

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Pope’s Intention for November

Dialogue and Reconciliation in the Near East

That a spirit of dialogue, encounter, and reconciliation emerge in the Near East, where diverse religious communities share their lives together.

The Angelus

Ordinary Time: November 3rd

Thirty-First Sunday of Ordinary Time

MASS READINGS

COLLECT PRAYER

Recipes (1)

Activities (2)

Prayers (3)

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Meditation: Luke 19:1-10

Christ Will Be Passing By

Lover of Souls: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 3, 2019 – The Little Man in a Tree

Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

Father Steven Reilly, LC

One Bread, One Body

MERCY OVER JUSTICE (JAS 2:13)