Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Roman Catholic The Word Among Us Daily Mass Reading & Daily Meditation for Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Meditation: Luke 19: Zacchaeus
1-4 Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn’t see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.
5-7 When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home.” Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, “What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?”
8 Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, “Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I’m caught cheating, I pay four times the damages.”
9-10 Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.”
Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, Virgin
Zacchaeus … was seeking to see who Jesus was. (Luke 19:2, 3)
“Who are you? What is your story?” These simple questions have facilitated some very rich conversations. Many long journeys have been turned from tedious hours of travel into fascinating encounters by people who make these kinds of inquiries. Finding out about the lives, thoughts, hopes, and dreams of the people around us is not only more interesting than casual conversation; it can spark deeper friendships with the ones we think we know.
A curious crowd had gathered around Jesus as he passed through Jericho that day. Maybe some onlookers were casual about Jesus, but not Zacchaeus. He genuinely wanted “to see who Jesus was” (Luke 19:3). He wanted to learn all about Jesus and what his story was. So he went and perched in a tree to get the best view possible. As a result, Zacchaeus was rewarded with an encounter that turned his life around and filled him with joy.
Zacchaeus might have wanted to know who Jesus was, but he learned even more about who he himself was. He discovered that he was still “a descendant of Abraham,” despite the many years he had spent exploiting and cheating his fellow Jews. He discovered that God still treasured him and that there was still hope for his future. He learned that he didn’t have to be defined by his past; Jesus looked beyond it, and so should he.
Every time you pray, read the Scriptures, or go to Mass, you too are in the crowd where Jesus is passing by. Will you be a spectator or a participant? It takes some humility, and some determination, to climb the tree with Zacchaeus, but think of the reward. While the beauty and familiarity of prayer or the liturgy can be a source of peace and comfort, God has much more in store for you. He wants to meet you. So go ahead and climb that tree! Actively seek out Jesus’ presence, and let him show himself to you. As you do, you’ll learn even more about who you are—a man or woman destined for greatness in his kingdom.
“Lord Jesus, I want to reach out to you today. I repent of any sin that blocks me from encountering you. Show me, Lord, the saint I can become!” Amen!
Revelation 3:o Sardis
1 Write this to Sardis, to the Angel of the church. The One holding the Seven Spirits of God in one hand, a firm grip on the Seven Stars with the other, speaks:
“I see right through your work. You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you’re dead, stone-dead.
2-3 “Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there’s life in you yet. But I wouldn’t know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God’s work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears—grasp it again and turn back to God.
“If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I’ll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night.
4 “You still have a few followers of Jesus in Sardis who haven’t ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world’s ways. They’ll walk with me on parade! They’ve proved their worth!
5 “Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I’ll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels.
6 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”
To Laodicea
14 Write to Laodicea, to the Angel of the church. God’s Yes, the Faithful and Accurate Witness, the First of God’s creation, says:
15-17 “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.
18 “Here’s what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire. Then you’ll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You’ve gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see.
19 “The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!
20-21 “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!
22 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”
Psalms 15:2 “Walk straight,
    act right,
        tell the truth.
3-4 “Don’t hurt your friend,
    don’t blame your neighbor;
        despise the despicable.
5 “Keep your word even when it costs you,
    make an honest living,
        never take a bribe.
“You’ll never get
blacklisted
if you live like this.”
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