Homily on “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future” based on the Gospel of Luke 19:1-10:
I asked a seminarian as to what or who inspired him. He said: “If the saints can do it, we can do it.
How grateful we are for the saints. Their courage and example inspire and encourage us. Actually - We are all called to be saints because only saints can enter heaven. Many of us, even the best of us, will not go straight to heaven, but will have to spend time in purgatory, so to speak, to purify us from the consequences of our sins and from our sinful inclinations before we enter heaven.
That is why – aim high - aim to be saints – aim for heaven. If you miss – you will end up in Purgatory but if you live your lives aiming minimally only for Purgatory, if you fall short – well, you know what that could mean.
When we compare our lives to the saints, it seems the saints lived in an entirely different world than ours. Our service seems insignificant compared to the glorious stories of the saints.
So – it makes one wonder, are there any more saints - around - these days?
Of course, the answer is “yes” – not only among priests and religious.
The truth is, modern-day saints in the making seem much more ordinary, much like you and me. You see - the Saints whom we honor – actually, at the time they were living – they were not even aware that they were living saintly lives. In fact, there is a saying – “A saint is a saint until he or she knows it”… meaning – When one becomes so self-conscious of one’s goodness more than one’s need of God’s mercy, that is when pride and ego and self-righteousness come in and that is the danger.
The saints actually would have been surprised to know anyone would remember their good deeds and words, and they would have been humbled by our stories of how we honor them. Perhaps most of them would correct us because of how much we exalt them because they know that they, too, experienced times when they were afraid, when they were unsure of their faith, or when they were impure with their motives.
Meaning – the lives of the Saints give us examples of God’s merciful and gracious work in their lives… like today’s Gospel story of Zacchaeus which gives ordinary people like us great hope. Zacchaeus story is the story of a little, lonely, sinful man who had an encounter with Jesus and that encounter with Jesus changed his life in a very big way. If Zacchaeus can change, we can change.
Zacchaeus was a tax collector. Even worse, he was a chief tax collector. Don’t think IRS here. Think Mafia or those drug dealers in terms of badness. The tax collectors were local Jews who purchased their tax collection job from the Romans, and then collected the hated taxes for the hated Romans from their neighbors, plus whatever extra they could squeeze on top for themselves.
Tax collectors were greedy enough to turn against their own family and friends to turn a profit. That is how bad they were. And so as you can imagine, tax collectors were wealthy but without friends. They were outcast from the Jewish synagogue, and every other gathering of Jews in town. So despised were tax collectors in the first century, that the phrases “tax collector” and “sinner” were considered synonymous.
With that background, that gives us a better perspective as to why the people grumbled when Jesus decided to stay and eat at Zacchaeus’ house. The point is - Jesus has come to seek and to save those who are lost. Even before sinners are seeking God, God is already seeking them. And sinners do not have to clean up their act before God will love them; rather it is God’s love offered first that causes a sinner to want to clean up his or her act. When he becomes aware of how much God loves him.
There is a phrase – “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” That is the hope that keeps us all humble, and gives each of us the chance we do not deserve - to be accepted by God.
Here is the difference between Jesus and us. Most of the time we wait for people to change before we accept and love them. We tell people, “You change, if you want to be accepted and loved.” Sometimes we do this - thinking - this is the Christian way. This is not the way of Jesus. For Him - You love people first. You accept them where they are, who they are, and as they are.
Love has the power to change people. This is the Good News… This is the Gospel. This is the miracle of grace.
In the Gospel, there is not a single negative word from Jesus to Zaccheus. Jesus only said “I want to go home with you and be your guest.” Jesus’ acceptance became the means by which Zacchaeus could change.
Admittedly - It does not sound realistic, does it? But this is God’s way of changing people. This is how people are converted. God does not wait for us to stop being sinners before extending His grace to us. As St. Paul wrote to the Romans: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). God’s gracious acceptance of us - as we are - makes change possible.
This approach, which sounds so unpromising, makes perfect sense - when YOU are Zaccheus. Meaning - Imagine – you - being Zacchaeus – put yourself in the shoes of Zacchaeus - If the rabbi from Nazareth insists that you change, you will probably ignore him and shut him out of your life.
- But what if He looks at you tenderly – with care, with concern especially when no one else does? What if he calls you by your name, the name you first heard from your mother’s lips? What if he says to you that he wants to go home with you, that he wants to spend time with you in your world? You will most likely fall out of the tree getting down from it quickly. That is Jesus’ way.
Jesus calls us to participate in His ministry, to continue what he started. Believe it or not, we all have the same power – by virtue of our own baptism – the same Spirit - to do something of what God in Christ has done. We can love people, if we will, with an acceptance that has the power to change them. We are called to love people to conversion.
Practical application: If you want your spouse or family member to change, you change first and be more like Christ…be in communion with Christ. Then you can love your family more than you can ever love them, you can forgive them more than you can ever forgive them. If you want your spouse or family member to change, do not nag them. Love them to conversion.
Zacchaeus was a new man after the meal with Jesus. He gave away half of his money to the poor, and paid back four-fold every person he had cheated (which pretty much was the entire town!). He gave away his wealth, but Zacchaeus gained a community of faith and friendship.
About a week later, Jesus, on the cross – was again in the presence of thieves… Crucified between two thieves and with His last breath, Jesus showed again that He welcomed every sinner, every crook who would accept a chance to sit at the banquet table of God. Why? Because – as we heard in the Gospel - Jesus had come to seek and to save those who are lost… People like you and like me.
So – my brothers and sisters in Christ - when you approach the table of the Lord today, think about that. Come humbly. Come gratefully, and let us all leave the church after our celebration this morning - a changed person… As we are sent at the end of the Mass - Go in the peace of Christ – glorifying the Lord by your very life.
As I mentioned before, in essence, the Mass never ends. It must be lived.
Amen.
31st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE C
NOVEMBER 3, 2019
The Text: Luke 19:1-10
