Zacchaeus Needed to Grow in Formation

Blessed Meditations

November 19, 2024. Gospel Passage: Luke 19:1-10. Also Ephesians 1:15-19. Quoting from the Homily of Pope Francis for World Youth Day on July 31, 2016 in www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2016/documents/papa-francesco_20160731_omelia-polonia-gmg.html and from St. Josemaría Escrivá in the Preface of "The Way" in escriva.org/en/camino/intro/authors-preface or escriva.org/es/camino/intro/prologo-del-autor. Meditation in November 2023 with Fr. Eric Nicolai, guest priest from Toronto at "In Your Presence" on Spotify. Image: "Christ Calling Zacchaeus" by Palma il Giovane in The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (Wikimedia Commons). Music: Handel Rinaldo, Aria Lascia che io pianga, adapted for guitar by Bert Alink. Fr. Nicolai's Note: Yesterday we had the passage from Luke about the blind man who is healed by Jesus also in Jerico. From Matthew we know the blind man’s name, Bartimaeus. Today Luke 19 tells us about another man, also in Jerico, but on the opposite side of the social spectrum. Not a poor blind man without power, money or standing. But a publican, a tax collector who worked for the Roman occupation, and his named is Zacchaeus. Both could not see Jesus: Bartimaeus because he was blind, Zacchaeus because he was too short. To be able to see Jesus he took initiative. This is an analogous to taking our formation more seriously.