I knock at the door; If anyone answers, I will enter.
The British theologian C. S. Lewis describes his conversion in his book Surprised by Joy. One day, riding on a bus, he got the feeling that he was blocking something out of his life. He felt as though he was keeping a door closed. Then and there, he felt he was being given the grace to open the door if he wished. Or, if he wished, he could keep it closed. He writes, "I knew that to open the door... meant the incalculable." He then adds, "I chose to open it." That choice started him on the road to Christianity and a new life. What happened to Lewis happens to all of Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts, inviting us to open ourselves more fully to him. Whether or not we do is up to us.
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Are we keeping any doors closed in our life? "We live but a fraction of our lives." Brendan Francis
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John reprimands the Christians of Sardis and Laodicea that they have abandoned their earlier fervour and are in need of conversion. Note the harsh words to the Laodiceans who are neither cold nor hot but only lukewarm: “I will spit you out of my mouth.”
Today we meet Zacchaeus, the rich typical sinner as a tax collector, who is small and poor as a person. He runs to encounter Jesus and is converted through this encounter, but it is really Jesus who takes the initiative by calling Zacchaeus out of the tree and asking whether he can stay in his house. This is the solution for the sinner, cold or lukewarm: accept to encounter the Lord again. This message is spoken to us too. Encountering Jesus will change us too.
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Generally speaking, a miracle is an event attributed to some kind of supernatural intervention; there is an interruption to the laws of nature or just simply something that is unlikely to happen yet beneficial and even wonderful. So, it can be said that a miracle usually brings about something good, such as escaping danger and injuries, surviving from a certain deadly situation, or just beating the odds.
We don't usually say that what happened to Zacchaeus, that wealthy senior tax collector in today's gospel, is a miracle. We may simply call it conversion and repentance. But the effect of Jesus calling out to Zacchaeus was simply amazing, if not miraculous. The man changed immediately and became a generous, open-handed and charitable benefactor. Jesus called out to him in love while he was on that sycamore tree and he listened and responded. If anything, we can say that the miracle was that Zacchaeus listened and responded to Jesus.
Yet in the 1st reading, it seems that the Lord Jesus is pleading with the churches in Sardis and Laodicea to listen to Him and He said this: If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. But what is said to the churches is also said to us and it is up to us to listen and respond to the call of conversion and repentance.
What happened to Zacchaeus was indeed a miracle. And miracles will happen to us too - when we listen and respond.
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Prayer
God of mercy and compassion, you know how often our fervour cools off, how poor of heart we are at times when we think we are rich and sure to belong to you. Let us encounter your Son again in the deepest of ourselves, help us to look for him, that his presence may change us and that he may live among us. We ask you this through Christ our Lord. Amen
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Elizabeth was born in 1207. Her father was Alexander II, the king of Hungary. Her marriage was arranged when she was just a child, and at age four, she was sent to Thuringia for education and eventual marriage. When she was 14, she married Louis of Thuringia. They loved each other deeply.
According to legend, Elizabeth went out with loaves of bread to feed those who were poor. Her husband saw her and took hold of her cape to see what she was carrying. What he saw was roses rather than bread! Because of this, she is also known as the patroness of bakers. Louis supported her in all she did to relieve the suffering of those who were poor or sick. But Louis’s mother, Sophia, his brother, and other members of the court resented Elizabeth’s generosity. She was taunted and mocked by the royal family, but deeply loved by the common people. Louis loved her and defended her. They had three children.
In 1227, after six years of marriage, Louis went to fight in the Crusades. He died on the way. Elizabeth was grief-stricken. Her in-laws accused her of mismanaging the finances of the kingdom, forcing her and her children out of the palace. For a while, they found refuge only in barns. Finally, they were taken in by her uncle, the bishop of Bamberg. When her husband’s friends returned from the Crusades, they helped restore her to her rightful place in the palace. Elizabeth increased her service to others. She was 24 when she died. She was canonized only four years later. Elizabeth is symbolized by a triple crown—for roles as a member of royalty, as a mother, and as a saint, crowned in heaven. She is the patroness of the Franciscan Third Order and of all Catholic Charities.
