Today Salvation has Come to this House"

Sunday Mass Readings

In the first reading today, the author of the book of Wisodm says"
"But you spare all things, because they are yours,
O LORD and lover of souls,
for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little,
warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing,
that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!" (Wisdom 12:2) The book of wisdom says today, “But you have mercy on all because you can do all things; and you overlook people’s sins that they may repent.” One of the beatitudes Jesus gave us was, “Blessed are the merciful, they will be shown mercy.” If understood rightly, we might say, God does not look at the acts of the person; he is interested in the person. At the end of it all God wants to save the person. At the end of it all God wants to save you and me. To do that God’s strategy is that he overlooks the people’s sins. Zacchaeus was sinful. He had cheated, exploited and caused pain and suffering to God’s people. But Jesus enters his house to dine with him. Jesus has this conversation with him. At the end of it all Jesus says, “ Today salvation has come to this house.” He has overlooked the acts of Zacchaeus and brought him to repentance and salvation.” No matter how sinful and bad we are, we can never be bad enough for God.

In all of scripture the greatest obstacle between God and human beings is not sin, but arrogance. Sinners in the gospel are more easily converted than the Pharisees and scribes. Zacchaeus is a classic example of this.

Let our sin not come between God and us. Rather, in true humility and love let us allow the Lord to invite himself to our house. Let us merely alllow his grace to transform us.

Let us end this reflection with the words of St. Paul. “We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully rings to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thess 1:11).

- Fr. Satish Joseph