October 30, Sunday, 31th Week in Ordinary Time
Sunday Readings: Wisdom 11:22-12:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2; Gospel: Luke 19:1-10
Once, a warship was moving toward a port. The ship's commander noticed, through a storm, a light approaching him. He thought that it was another ship. So the commander, with great pride, issued an order to the seemingly coming ship. "Change direction ten degrees north." Immediately, he received the answer from the other side. "You change your direction by ten degrees to the south."
The commander was so proud that he did not want to give up. So he immediately sent another message: "I am the commander." "You change direction by ten degrees." The answer he received was humiliating. The answer was, "You change direction; I am a lighthouse!"
Jesus loves a heart that is ready to change. Our eyes and minds can be blinded by pride. God loves a humble heart, ready to repent and turn over a new leaf.
Chapter 19 of Saint Luke’s gospel begins with the account of Jesus encountering Zacchaeus. First, Zacchaeus has an ardent desire to meet Jesus. He makes an effort and runs to obtain his desire. God sees his inner longing and encounters him, calling him down from the sycamore tree. Jesus fully responds to his desire by entering his home.
Zacchaeus changed when he saw Jesus where he lived. He repents and decides to make reparation for his sinful past. Jesus offers his salvation to Zacchaeus and his family because he was the savior who came to save the lost.
The Book of Wisdom asserts this nature of God: "But you are merciful to all, for you can do all things and you overlook people’s sins, so that they may repent" (wisdom 11:23). St Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians also reminds us that "God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith" ( 2 Thessalonians 1:11)
Like Zacchaeus, we are called to give up our pride, past, and present condition to receive Jesus and his salvation. If you desire to encounter Jesus, he will come into our homes and hearts. He keeps knocking at our doors and hearts.
May we be able to be humble and ask for forgiveness so that we can meet Jesus and have our hearts changed.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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