“...Come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”
Lk. 20:5
This invitation is not meant only for Zacchaeus, or the
Apostles or the early Christian. Jesus offers this invitation to every one of
us. We are not to be Christians only when we are in Church for an hour each
week. We are to bring our faith into every word and action of our lives. Christ
wants to be a part of our lives. At our Baptism, God calls us to be holy, that
is, to be on a journey to becoming saints. Holiness comes from our giving
Christ complete access to every aspect of our lives.
Christ calls us to be missionaries, sent in unexpected ways
to give witness to the unconditional love of God. At school, or work, in our
homes and in our leisure time we are to show Christ to others by our actions
and our words.
Many of us think that the act of being a missionary belongs
to the priests, sisters or deacons, but you and I can go places that they
cannot, or do not go. You may be the only Bible that some people may ever see.
Think of the impact that you may have on your friends or
family by what you say or do. A kind word or an act of compassion can bring
immense joy or comfort to others, and it costs you nothing. I look at the
political climate, or even the world around us and see hatred, bitterness and
cruelty. That is not the world that God created. In Genesis we read, “God saw
what He created and He said, “That is good.” Christ came to restore the
goodness and gave His life for us. Before He died, Christ gathered His
disciples around Him and taught them about the love and the mercy of the
Father. He charged them to teach others about the Kingdom of God.
That command has travelled the centuries to every Christian
who has ever lived and it is now a charge given to us in the 21st century. We
don’t need to go out to preach on street corners, or to quote scriptures to
others. We don’t need to be like the Pharisees who read the scriptures but
failed to live by them. We simply are to bring Christ into our circle and to
make the world more holy, kind and human.
Two men were in a hurry to get home from work to enjoy a
long weekend with their families. They were running late and needed to catch a
train out of the city. As they ran down the stairs and across the platform,
they saw their train. In their haste, they bumped into a table containing
newspapers and magazines being sold by a young boy. The table fell and the
magazines and newspapers flew off. One of the men stopped, picked up the table
and placed the newspapers and magazines back on it. He watched as the train
left the station.
The boy looked at the man and asked, “Mister, are you
Jesus?”
Zacchaeus hurried down from the tree, and not only
physically welcomed Jesus into his home, but also offered Christ every aspect
of his life. This openness lead to changes in his business practice, home life
and public image. Jesus calls us to deepen our discipleship by surrendering
every aspect of our lives to Him.
Jesus wants us to bring fulfillment, mission and holiness
into our work life; to bring reconciliation, new life and salvation into our
family life; and to be His witness in our social life.
We are not just Sunday Catholics for one hour a week. We are
the New Disciples sent to bring the Good News to the world, to set it on fire
with Faith. Christ is counting on you. Are you ready to answer His call?
