Lessons from the sycamore tree

Here is the reflection I prepared for the gatherings of faith that happened around the Lord's table in our local communities.  The story of Zachaeus is a reminder for all of us that God is at work within us, gently correcting us and drawing us closer to him so that he can share his joy with us.

Little by little

Many if not most of those who are regularly part of this faith community are aware of the regularity with which I visit our schools.  On most such occasions, I am present early in the morning to assist other staff members and to greet the students as they arrive.  The school community refers to this task as bus duty.  My presence allows me to get to know the students in an informal way but a major breakthrough happened on the first day that one of the students waved in recognition from the window of the bus.  There have even been moments when they are quick to call out: Good morning Father.

Over the past four years, I have also come to know many of the teachers in our schools.  They are remarkable people who would do anything to help a child learn.  I have nothing but admiration for them.  Like my relationship with the students, I have noticed that my relationship with the teachers has matured as well: in some cases, I am regularly in their classrooms, and from time to time we take a moment to discuss strategies to help the children understand various aspects of faith.

We do all of this because we believe that each of us is a child of God, precious in his eyes.  The book of Wisdom reminds us that God has made us all and therefore he loves us all and he wants the best for us (cf Wis 11:24).  He knows each one of us infinitely, even better than we know ourselves.  He knows what we are capable of and he never stops correcting us little by little ... even reminding us and warning us of situations that might lead us to sin (cf Wis 12:2).  Our God is boundlessly patient with us, but he is always at work within us, chiseling away the hard parts of our hearts and replacing them with tenderness.

At times we may not pay much attention to the work that God is doing within us.  We may even be lured away by other temptations and find ourselves truly distant from him, but he will never stop looking for us, drawing us back.  Zachaeus had heard about Jesus and wanted to see him for himself (Lk 19:3).  Saint Luke does not say anything about the reasons why this rich tax collector wanted to see Jesus.  Perhaps it was a business affair, but most probably, something that he had heard about Jesus had stirred a long-forgotten longing or at the very least a curiosity in his heart and this drove him to stop at nothing in order to see him.

We too need to be courageous enough to place ourselves in situations where we can share our faith with others.  If people see us making the sign of the cross in restaurants, if they hear us speaking about the joy of knowing Jesus, if they witness our willingness to strengthen the ties that bind our families together, perhaps they too will discover a longing within and dare to come running in order to meet Jesus.

The tax collector Zachaeus was so overjoyed to welcome Jesus that he made a public promise to give away half his fortune (cf Lk 19:8): a sure sign that his heart had been changed.  God never gives up on any of us.  He is always at work, finding new ways to meet us where we are and to gently invite us to come to him ... and when we do, miracles happen.

There is a another way that we can help those who have been distanced from the Church; it's mentioned in the second reading today.  Take the words that Saint Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica and pray them especially (by name) for those in your family or among your friends who are experiencing difficulties.  The prayer might sound like this:  (Say the first name of the person) ... then continue: We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring 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 (1 Thes 1:11-12).  If this prayer begins in our hearts, perhaps the Lord will place it on our lips too, and others will come to know him and believe in him.