 |
| Niels Larsen Stevns: Zakæ (Christ And Zacchaeus), 1913 |
Zacchaeus was short in height and short in moral integrity, for he was a tax collector. Back then, tax collectors were usually dishonest and gauged the people for all they could get. They had a quota from the Roman government, and any excess money collected, they could keep. But then he met divine mercy when he met Jesus and was forever changed. He grew! But he didn’t grow taller, he grew in moral stature; he grew in faith, holiness, and generosity. He would give not 10% of his possessions to the poor but 50%! In his encounter with Jesus, he saw his short comings and decided to change for the better (Luke 19:1-10).
Jesus invites us to grow as well. But like Zacchaeus, we must first recognize our short comings and resolve to grow. The sacrament of Penance is the best place to meet Jesus, encounter our short comings, and receive mercy.
- Fr. Carl
“If the friendship of saints living in this world ills us
with love for God, how much more then shall we
gain by considering the saints in glory, by invoking
them, and taking them for our protectors!”
~ Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars
