나바르 매일미사 독서/묵상

Tuesday

33rd Week of Ordinary Time

(I) 1st Reading: 2 Maccabees 6:18-31

Martyrdom of Eleazar
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[18] Eleazar, one of the scribes in high position, a man now advanced in age
and of noble presence, was being forced to open his mouth to eat swine's flesh.
[19] But he, welcoming death with honor rather than life with pollution, went up
to the rack of his own accord, spitting out the flesh, [20] as men ought to go who
have the courage to refuse things that it is not right to taste, even for the natural
love of life.

[21] Those who were in charge of that unlawful sacrifice took the man aside, be-
cause of their long acquaintance with him, and privately urged him to bring meat
of his own providing, proper for him to use, and pretend that he was eating the
flesh of the sacrificial meal which had been commanded by the king, [22] so that
by doing this he might be saved from death, and be treated kindly on account of
his old friendship with them. [23] But making a high resolve, worthy of his years
and the dignity of his old age and the gray hairs which he had reached with dis-
tinction and his excellent life even from childhood, and moreover according to the
holy God-given law, he declared himself quickly, telling them to send him to
Hades.

[24] "Such pretense is not worthy of our time of life' he said, "lest many of the
young should suppose that Eleazar in his ninetieth year has gone over to an alien
religion, [25] and through my pretense, for the sake of living a brief moment longer,
they should be led astray because of me, while I defile and disgrace my old age.
[26] For even if for the present I should avoid the punishment of men, yet whether
I live or die I shall not escape the hands of the Almighty. [27] Therefore, by man-
fully giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age [28] and leave
to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and nobly for
the revered and holy laws."

When he had said this, he went at once to the rack. [29] And those who a little
before had acted toward him with good will now changed to ill will, because the
words he had uttered were in their opinion sheer madness. [30] When he was
about to die under the blows, he groaned aloud and said: "It is clear to the Lord
in his holy knowledge that, though I might have been saved from death, I am en-
during terrible sufferings in my body under this beating, but in my soul I am glad
to suffer these things because I fear him."

[31] So in this way he died, leaving in his death an example of nobility and a me-
morial of courage, not only to the young but to the great body of his nation.

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Commentary:

6:18-31. The story of Eleazar carries the lesson that faithfulness to God's law
is what matters most to the righteous man, and that the example given by pro-
minent people can have enormous consequences. St Gregory Nazianzen calls
Eleazar "the greatest of all those who suffered before the coming of Christ; as
Stephen is first among those who endure suffering after Christ" ("Orationes",
15, 3). In ascetical tradition, Eleazar continues to be a clear example of fortitude:
"The person with fortitude is one who perseveres in doing what his conscience
tells him he ought to do. He does not measure the value of a task exclusively
by the benefit he receives from it, but rather by the service he renders to others.
The strong man will at times suffer, but he stands firm; he may be driven to tears,
but he will brush them aside. When difficulties come thick and fast, he does not
bend before them.

Remember the example given us in the book of the Maccabees: an old man,
Eleazar, prefers to die than break God's law. 'By manfully giving up my life now,
I will show myself worthy of my old age and leave to the young a noble example
of how to die a good death willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws" (St.
J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 77).

6:23. The Greco-Roman world called the dwelling-place of the dead "Hades" --
in Hebrew "sheol" (cf. the note on 1 Kings 2:6).

(II) 1st Reading: Revelation 3:1-6, 14-22

Letter to the Church of Sardis
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[1] "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'The words of him who has
the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. "'I know your works; you have the
name of being alive, and you are dead. [2] Awake, and strengthen what remains
and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight
of my God. [3] Remember then what you received and heard; keep that, and re-
pent. If you will not awake, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what
hour I will come upon you. [4] Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people
who have not soiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white, for
they are worthy. [5] He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and
I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my
Father and before his angels. [6] He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches.'

Letter to the Church of Laodicea
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[14] "And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 'The words of the Amen,
the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.

[15] "'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold
or hot! [16] So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew
you out of my mouth. [17] For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need
nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
[18] Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may
be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your na-
kedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.
[19] Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent. [20]
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens
the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. [21] He who
conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered
and sat down with my Father on his throne. [22] He who has an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

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Commentary:

1. Sardis, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south-east of Thyatira, was an impor-
tant hub in the highway system; it was also famous for its acropolis, which was
located in an unassailable position. Herodotus describes its inhabitants as im-
moral, licentious people (cf. "History", 1, 55). The Christians of the city were
probably somewhat infected by the general atmosphere.

Christ is now depicted as possessing the fullness of the Spirit, with the power to
effect radical change by sanctifying the churches from within (cf. note on 1:4).
He is also portrayed as the sovereign Lord of the universal Church (cf. note on
2:1), ever ready to imbue it with new life.

The church of Sardis is accused of seeming to be alive but in fact being dead:
in other words, although its external practice of religion makes it look Christian,
most of its members (not all: cf. v. 4) are estranged from Christ, devoid of interior
life, in a sinful condition. Anyone who lives like that is dead. Our Lord himself de-
scribed the situation of the prodigal son as being a kind of death: "my son was
dead, and is alive again", the father exclaims in the parable (Lk 15: 24); and St
Paul invites Christians to offer themselves to God "as men who have been
brought from death to life" (Rom 6:13). Now, in this passage of Revelation, we
are told that the cause of this spiritual, but real, death is the fact that the works

of this church are imperfect in the sight of God (v. 2); they were works which led
to spiritual death, that is, what we would term mortal sins. "With the whole tradi-
tion of the Church", John Paul II says, "we call 'mortal sin' the act by which man
freely and consciously rejects God, his law, the covenant of love that God offers,
preferring to turn in on himself or to some created and finite reality, something
contrary to the divine will ("conversio ad creaturam") [...]. Man perceives that this
disobedience to God destroys the bond that unites him with his life-principle: it
is a mortal sin, that is, an act which gravely offends God and ends in turning
against man himself with a dark and powerful force of destruction" ("Reconci-
liatio Et Paenitentia", 17).

2-3. Vigilance is always necessary, particularly in certain situations like that of
Sardis where there was a number of people who had not fallen victim to sin. In
this kind of peril, Christians need to be alerted and confirmed in the faith. They
need to remember what they learned at the beginning, when they were instructed
in the faith, and try to bring their lives into line with that teaching. And so they are
not simply exhorted to conversion but told how to go about it--by comparing their
lives with the Word of God and making the necessary changes: "no one is safe if
he ceases to strive against himself. Nobody can save himself by his own efforts.
Everyone in the Church needs specific means to strengthen himself--humility,
which disposes us to accept help and advice; mortifications, which temper the
heart and allow Christ to reign in it; the study of abiding, sound doctrine, which
leads us to conserve and spread our faith" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing
By", 81).

"I will come like a thief": an image also found elsewhere in the New Testament
(cf. Mt 24:42-51, Mk 13:36; Lk 12:39ff; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Pet 3: 10). This does not
mean that our Lord is lying in wait, ready to pounce on man when he is una-
wares, like a hunter waiting for his prey. It is simply a warning to us to live in the
grace of God and be ready to render our account to him. If we do that we will not
run the risk of being found empty-handed at the moment of death. "That day will
come for us. It will be our last day, but we are not afraid of it. Trusting firmly in
God's grace, we are ready from this very moment to be generous and coura-
geous, and take loving care of little things: we are ready to go and meet our
Lord, with our lamps burning brightly. For the feast of feasts awaits us in heaven"
(St. J. Escriva, "Friends of God", 40).

4-5. Despite the corrupt environment in which they were living, there were some
Christians who had not been contaminated by the immoral cults and lifestyles of
the pagans: their loyalty is symbolized by white garments. In the course of nar-
rating his visions St John mentions white garments a number of times (cf. 7:9,
13; 15:6; 19:14); this color symbolizes purity and also the joy of victory.

The symbol of the "book of life", which occurs often in the Apocalypse (cf. 13:8;
17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; etc.), is taken from the Old Testament, where those who
belong to the people of Israel are described as enrolled in the "book of the living",
which is also referred to as the book of the Lord (cf. Ps 69:28; Ex 32:32ff). Those
whose names are in the book will share in the promises of salvation (cf. Is 4:3),
whereas those who are unfaithful to the Law will be excluded from the people of
God and their names blotted out of the "book of the living". Other New Testa-
ment texts use the same image (cf., e.g., Lk 10:20; Phil 4:3).

The names of the victors will stay in the "book of life" which lists those who have
proved loyal to Christ, as well as those who belonged to the people of Israel.

Finally, on Judgment Day, those Christians who have kept the faith, will be spo-
ken for by Christ (cf. Mt 10:32; Lk 12:8).

14. Laodicea was a city on the border of Phrygia, about 75 kilometers (45 miles)
south-west of Philadelphia. It is also mentioned by St Paul when he suggests to
the Colossians that they exchange his letter to them for the one he sent the
Laodiceans (cf. Col 4:16).

14. 라오디케이아(Laodicea)는 필라델피아(Philadelphia)로부터 약 75 킬로미터(45마일)
남서쪽에 위치한, 프리기아(Phrygia)의 경계에 있는 도시였습니다. 이 도시는 성 바오로
(St. Paul)에 의하여, 그가 콜로새 사람들에게, 그들에게 보냈던 자신의 편지를 그가
라오디체이아 사람들에게 보냈던 자신의 편지와 교환할 것을 제안할 때에, 또한
언급됩니다(콜로새 4,16 참조).

Jesus Christ is given the title of "the Amen"; a similar description is applied to
Christ in 2 Corinthians 1:20. Both texts are instances of a divine name being ap-
plied to Christ, thereby asserting his divinity. "Amen", so be it, is an assertion
of truth and veracity and connects with the title of "the true one" in the previous
letter. It highlights the fact that our Lord is strong, dependable and unchangeable;
the words that follow, "faithful and true witness", spell out the full meaning of the
"Amen" title (cf. 1:5).

예수 그리스도께 "아멘(the Amem)" 이라는 칭호(title)가 주어지며, 그리고 어떤 유사한
서술적 묘사(description)가 2코린토 1,20에서 적용됩니다. 이들 두 본문들 둘 다는
한 개의 하느님 이름(a divine name)이 그리스도께 적용되어, 그것에 의하여 당신의
신성을 단언하는 경우(instances)들입니다. "아멘", 즉, 그대로 이루어지소서(so be it)는
진리(truth)와 진실을 말함(veracity)에 대한 어떤 단언(an assertion)이며 그리고 이전의
편지에 있는 "진실한 이(the true one)"(요한 묵시록 3,7)이라는 칭호와 연관됩니다.
이 표현은 우리의 주님이 강하고, 의존할 수 있는(dependable) 그리고 변하지 않는
(unchangeable) 분이시라는 사실을 돋보이게 하며, 그리고 "성실하고 참된 증인" 이라는
뒤따르는 표현은 "아멘"이라는 칭호의 충만한 의미를 상세히 설명합니다(spell out)
(요한 묵시록 1,5를 참조하라).

The most satisfactory interpretation of the phrase "the beginning of God's crea-
tion" is in terms of Jesus Christ's role in creation: for "all things were made
through him" (Jn 1:3) and therefore he, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
is the Creator of heaven and earth.

"하느님 창조의 근원(the beginning of God's creation)"이라는 구절에 대한 가장
만족스러운 해석은 창조에 있어 다음과 같은 예수 그리스도의 역할에 의하여서
입니다: 이는 "모든 것이 그분을 통하여 생겨났고 그분 없이 생겨난 것은 하나도
없으며" (요한 복음서 1,3) 그리하여 그 결과 당신께서는, 성부 및 성령과 함께,
하늘과 땅의 창조주이시기 때문입니다.

15-16. The prosperity Laodicea enjoyed may have contributed to the laxity and
lukewarmness the church is accused of here (Israel tended to take the same di-
rection when living was easy: the people would become forgetful of Yahweh and
adopt an easy-going lifestyle: cf., e.g., Deut 31:20; 32:15; Hos 13:6; Jer 5:7).

15-16. 라오디케이아(Laodicea)의 번영이 여기에서 이 교회가 비난받고 있는 이완
(laxity)과 미지근함(lukewarmness)에 기여하였을 수도 있습니다 [이스라엘은 생활이
안락하였을 때에 다음과 같이 동일한 방향을 택하는 경향이 있었습니다: 이 백성은
하느님(Yahweeh)께 무관심하게(forgetful of) 되었으며 그리고 너긋한(easy-going)
생활 양식을 택하였습니다: 예를 들어, 신명 31,20; 32,15; 호세아 13,6; 예레미야
5,7을 참조하라].

The presence of hot springs close to the city explains the language used in this
passage, which amounts to a severe indictment of lukewarmness. It shows God's
repugnance for mediocrity and bourgeois living. As observed by Cassian, one of
the founders of Western monasticism, lukewarmness is something that needs to
be nipped in the bud: "No one should attribute his going astray to any sudden col-
lapse, but rather [...] to his having moved away from virtue little by little, through
prolonged mental laziness. That is the way bad habits gain round without one's
even noticing it, and eventually lead to a sudden collapse. 'Pride goes before de-
struction, and a haughty spirit before a fall' (Prov 16:18). The same thing happens
with a house: it collapses one fine day due to some ancient defect in its founda-
tion or long neglect by the occupiers" ("Collationes", VI, 17).

이 도시 바로 곁에 있는 온천(hot springs)들의 존재는, 미지근함에 대한 한 개의
가혹한 비난(indictment)으로 발전하는, 바로 이 구절에서 사용된 언어를 설명합니다.
이것은 평범(mediocrity)과 도회지 사람의 생활(bourgeois living)에 대한 하느님의
반감(repugnance)을 보여줍니다. 서구의 수도원 생활의 창시자들 중의 한 명인
성 요한 카시아노(St. John Cassian, 360-433년)에 의하여 관찰되었듯이, 미지근함은
봉오리 때에 따서 버려야 할 필요가 있는 그 무엇입니다: "어떤 자도 자신이 길을 잃는
것을 어느 갑작스런 무너짐(collapse)의 탓이 아니라, 오히려 자신이, [...] 장기간의
마음의 게으름을 통하여, 조금씩 덕(virtue)으로부터 이미 물러갔음의 탓으로 돌려야만
합니다. 바로 이것이 나쁜 습관들이, 심지어 당사자에 의한 그것에 대한 알아차림 없이,
우회하여 승리하는 방식이며, 그리하여 결국에 어떤 갑작스런 무너짐으로 이르게
합니다. '파멸에 앞서 교만이 있고 멸망에 앞서 오만한 정신이 있다' (잠언 16,18).
동일한 일이 다음과 같이 한 개의 주택(a house)에 발생합니다: 그것은 그 기초에 있어
어떤 오래된 결함 혹은 점유자들에 의한 오랜 기간의 소홀(neglect) 때문에 어느 좋은
날에 무너집니다" [성 요한 카시아노(St. John Cassian), "Collationes", VI, 17].

Spiritual lukewarmness and mediocrity are very closely related: neither is the
route Christian life should take. As Monsignor Escriva puts it, "'In medio virtus'....
Virtue is to be found in the middle, so the saying goes, warning us against extre-
mism. But do not make the mistake of turning that advice into a euphemism to
disguise your own comfort, calculation, lukewarmness, easygoingness, lack of
idealism and mediocrity.

Meditate on these words of Sacred Scripture: 'Would that you were cold or hot.
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of
my mouth'" ("Furrow", 541).

영적 미지근함과 평범은 매우 가깝게 관련되어 있으며, 이들 둘 중의 어느 것도
그리스도인의 삶이 택하지 말아야만 하는 노정(路程, route)입니다. 몬시뇰
에스크리바(Monsignor Escriva)가 그것을 설명하듯이, "'In medio virtus'.... 덕
(virtue)은 중도(the middle)에서 발견될 것이며, 그리하여 이 속담은 계속하여,
우리들에게 극단주의(extremism)에 반하라고 주의를 줍니다. 그러나 당신 고유의
안락함, 계산, 미지근함, 느긋함, 이상주의의 결여 그리고 평범을 감추기 위하여
(disguise) 바로 이 충고를 어떤 완곡 어법(a euphemism)으로 바꾸는 실수를 하지
마십시오.

성경 본문으로부터인 다음의 표현에 대하여 묵상하십시오: '너는 차지도 않고
뜨겁지도 않다. 네가 차든지 뜨겁든지 하면 좋으련만! 네가 이렇게 미지근하여
뜨겁지도 않고 차지도 않으니, 나는 너를 입에서 뱉어 버리겠다.' (요한 묵시록
3,15-16) [호세마리아 에스크리바(J. Escriva, 1902-1975년), "Furrow", 541].

17-19. The Christians of Laodicea did not realize how precarious their spiritual
situation was. The city's flourishing trade and industry, and the fact that the
church was not being persecuted in any way, made them feel prosperous and
content: they were proud as well as lukewarm. They had fallen victim to that self-
conceit the wealthy are always inclined to feel and which moved our Lord to say
that rich people enter heaven only with difficulty (cf. Mt 19:23); he often pointed
to the dangers of becoming attached to material things (cf. Lk 1:53; 6:24; 12:21;
16:19- 31; 18:23-25). The Laodiceans had become proud in their prosperity and
did not see the need for divine grace (which is worth more than all the wealth in
the world). As St Paul says in one of his letters: "Whatever gain I had, I counted
as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the
surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered
the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ"
(Phil 3:7-8).

17-19. 라오디케이아(Laodicea)의 그리스도 사람들은 자신들의 처지가 얼마나
위험한지(precarious)를 알아차리지 못하였습니다. 이 도시의 번성하는 무역과
산업, 그리고 교회가 어느 방식으로도 박해를 받고 있지 않다는 사실이, 그들로
하여금 부유하다고(prosperous) 그리고 만족한다고 느끼게 만들었습니다: 그들은
미지근하였을 뿐만이 아니라 교만하였습니다. 그들은 부유한 자들이 항상 느끼는
경향이 있는 그리고 부자들은 오로지 어려움과 함께 하늘(heaven)에 들어간다
(마태오 복음서 19,23 참조)고 우리의 주님께서 말씀하시도록 움직였던 바로 그
자만심(self-conceit)의 포로가 이미 되어있었으며, 그리고 물질적인 사물들에
애착(affection)을 가지게 되는 위험들에 대하여 당신께서는 이미 지적하셨습니다
(루카 복음서 1,53; 6,24; 12,21; 16-19-31; 18,23-25). 라이오케이아 사람들은
자신들의 번영에 대하여 이미 자랑하게 되었으며 그리하여 (이 세상에 있는 모든
부(the wealth)보다 더 가치있는) 하느님의 은총의 필요(need for)를 알아차리지(see)
못하였습니다. 성 바오로(St. Paul)가 자신의 편지들 중의 한 개에서 다음과 같이
말하듯이: "나에게 이롭던 것들을, 나는 그리스도 때문에 모두 해로운 것으로 여기게
되었습니다. 그뿐만 아니라, 나의 주 그리스도 예수님을 아는 지식의 지고한 가치
때문에, 다른 모든 것을 해로운 것으로 여깁니다. 나는 그리스도 때문에 모든 것을
잃었지만 그것들을 쓰레기로 여깁니다. 내가 그리스도를 얻고 ..." " (필리피 3,7-8)

There was an important textile industry in Laodicea which specialized in the
manufacture of black woolen cloth. Instead of wearing that material, the Laodi-
ceans must dress in garments which only our Lord can provide and which are
the mark of the elect (cf., e.g., Mt 17:2 and par; Rev 3:4-5; 7:9). The city was
also famous for its oculists, like Zeuxis and Philetos, who had developed a very
effective ointment for the eyes. Jesus offers an even better ointment--one which
will show them the dangerous state they are in. This dire warning comes from
God's love, not his anger: it is his affection that leads him to reprove and correct
his people: 'the Lord reproves whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he
delights" (Prov 3:12). After quoting these same words the Epistle to the Hebrews
adds: "It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons;
for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without
discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and
not sons" (12:7-8).

라오디케이아에는 한 개의 중요한 섬유 산업이 있었는데 이 산업은 검은 색의 모직물
(black woolen cloth)의 생산을 전문으로 하였습니다. 바로 이 옷을 입는 대신에,
라오디케이아 사람들은 오로지 우리의 주님께서 제공해 주시는(can) 그리고 선택된
이들의 표시인 겉옷들을 입어야 합니다 (예를 들어, 마태오 복음서 17,2 및 병행 절;
요한 묵시록 3,4-5; 7,9를 참조하라). 그리고 이 도시는, 눈들을 위한 매우 효능있는
안약용 연고(ointment)를 개발하였던, 제우크시스(Zeuxis)와 필레토스(Philetos) 같은,
안과 의사(oculists)들 때문에 유명하였습니다. 예수님께서는 심지어 더 나은 연고를
제시하시는데, 이 연고는 그들이 그 안에 있는 위험한 상태를 그들에게 보여줄
것입니다. 바로 이러한 무서운(dire) 경고는 하느님의 사랑으로부터 오는 것이지,
당신의 분노로부터가 아닙니다: 당신으로 하여금 당신의 백성을 꾸짖고 그리고
교정하도록(correct) 하는 것은 바로 다음과 같은 당신의 애정(affection)입니다:
"아버지가 아끼는 아들을 꾸짖듯 주님께서는 사랑하시는 이를 꾸짖으신다." (잠언
3,12). 바로 이러한 동일한 표현을 인용한 후에 히브리인들에게 보내는 서간은
다음과 같이 추가합니다: "여러분의 시련을 훈육으로 여겨 견디어 내십시오.
하느님께서는 여러분을 자녀로 대하십니다. 아버지에게서 훈육을 받지 않는 아들이
어디 있습니까? 모든 자녀가 다 받는 훈육을 받지 않는다면, 여러분은 사생아지
자녀가 아닙니다." (히브리 12,7-8).

"Be zealous": stop being lukewarm and enter the fervor of charity, have an ardent
zeal for the glory of God.

"열성을 다하라(be zealous)": 미지근한 것을 그만두고 그리고 애덕(charity, 사랑)이라는
열정(fervor)에 들어가라, 하느님의 영광을 위한 열렬한 열성(zeal)을 가지도록 하라.

20-21. Christ knocking on the door is one of the most touching images in the Bi-
ble. It is reminiscent of the Song of Songs, where the bridegroom says, "Open to
me, my sister, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is wet with dew, my locks
with the drops of the might" (Song 5:2). It is a way of describing God's love for us,
inviting us to greater intimacy with him, as happens in a thousand ways in the
course of our life. We should be listening for his knock, ready to open the door
to Christ. A writer from the Golden Age of Spanish literature evokes this scene in
poetry: "How many times the angel spoke to me:/'Look out of your window now,
/you'll see how lovingly he calls and calls.'/Yet, sovereign beauty, how often/I re-
plied, 'We'll open for you tomorrow',/ to reply the same when the morrow came"
(Lope de Vega, "Rimas Sacras", Sonnet 18).

Our Lord awaits our response to his call, and when we make the effort to revive
our interior life we experience the indescribable joy of intimacy with him. "At first
it will be a bit difficult. You must make an effort to seek out the Lord, to thank
him for his fatherly and practical concern for us. Although it is not really a matter
of feeling, little by little the love of God makes itself felt like a rustle in the soul.
It is Christ who pursues us lovingly: 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock' (Rev
3:20). How is your life of prayer going? At times during the day don't you feel the
impulse to have a longer talk with him? Don't you then whisper to him that you
will tell him about it later, in a heart-to-heart conversation [...]. Prayer then be-
comes continuous, like the beating of our heart, like our pulse. Without this pre-
sence of God, there is no contemplative life; and without contemplative life, our
working for Christ is worth very little, for vain is the builder's toil if the house is
not of the Lord's building (cf. Ps 126:1)" (St. J. Escriva, "Christ Is Passing By",
8).

Jesus promises that those who conquer will sit beside him on his throne. He
gave a similar promise to St Peter about how the Apostles would sit on twelve
thrones to Judge the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Mt 19:28; 20:20ff). The "throne" is
a reference to the sovereign authority Christ has received from the Father. There-
fore, the promise of a seat beside him is a way of saying that those who stay
faithful will share in Christ's victory and kingship (cf. 1 Cor 6:2-3).

Gospel Reading: Luke 19:1-10

The Conversion of Zacchaeus
------------------------------------------
[1] He (Jesus) entered Jericho and was passing through. [2] And there was a
rich man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. [3] And he
sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because
he was small of stature. [4] So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore
tree to see Him, for He was to pass that way. [5] And when Jesus came to the
place, He looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down;
for I must stay at your house today." [6] So he made haste and came down, and
received Him joyfully. [7] And when they saw it they all murmured, "He has gone
in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." [8] And Zacchaeus stood and said
to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have
defrauded any one of anything, I restore it fourfold." [9] And Jesus said to him,
"Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.
[10] For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost."

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Commentary:

1-10. Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind; He has healed many sick people,
has raised the dead to life and, particularly, has brought forgiveness of sin and
the gift of grace to those who approach Him in faith. As in the case of the sinful
woman (cf. Luke 7:36-50), here He brings salvation to Zacchaeus, for the mis-
sion of the Son of Man is to save that which was lost.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector and, as such, was hated by the people, because
the tax collectors were collaborators of the Roman authorities and were often
guilty of abuses. The Gospel implies that this man also had things to seek for-
giveness for (cf. verses 7-10). Certainly he was very keen to see Jesus (no doubt
moved by grace) and he did everything he could to do so. Jesus rewards his ef-
forts by staying as a guest in his house. Moved by our Lord's presence Zac-
chaeus begins to lead a new life.

The crowd begin to grumble against Jesus for showing affection to a man they
consider to be an evildoer. Our Lord makes no excuses for his behavior: He
explains that this is exactly why He has come--to seek out sinners. He is put-
ting into practice the parable of the lost sheep (cf. Luke 15:4-7), which was al-
ready prophesied in Ezekiel: "I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the
strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen the weak" (34:16).

4. Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus, and to do so he has to go out and mix with
the crowd. Like the blind man of Jericho he has to shed any kind of human re-
spect. In our own search for God we should not let false shame or fear of ridi-
cule prevent us from using the resources available to us to meet our Lord. "Con-
vince yourself that there is no such thing as ridicule for whoever is doing what
is best" (St. J. Escriva, "The Way", 392).

5-6. This is a very good example of the way God acts to save men. Jesus calls
Zacchaeus personally, using his name, suggesting he invite Him home. The
Gospel states that Zacchaeus does so promptly and joyfully. This is how we
should respond when God calls us by means of grace.

8. Responding immediately to grace, Zacchaeus makes it known that he will
restore fourfold anything he obtained unjustly--thereby going beyond what is laid
down in the Law of Moses (cf. Exodus 21:37f). And in generous compensation
he gives half his wealth to the poor." Let the rich learn", St. Ambrose comments,
"that evil does not consist in having wealth, but in not putting it to good use; for
just as riches are an obstacle to evil people, they are also a means of virtue for
good people" ("Expositio Evangelii Sec. Lucam, in loc."). Cf. note on Luke 16:
9-11).

10. Jesus' ardent desire to seek out a sinner to save him fills us with hope of
attaining eternal salvation. "He chooses a chief tax collector: who can despair
when such a man obtains grace?" (St. Ambrose, "Expositio Evangelii Sec.
Lucam, in loc.").
　

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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase
The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.