WEBVTT

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Glory be to Jesus Christ. Glory be to God. I'm

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so pleased that Father has asked me to give the

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homily today. And it's more than a coincidence

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that at the same time, if you take a peek at

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your right, the monks have started Started the

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depiction of Zacchaeus. Going. And our Lord going

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through Jericho. I want to begin by saying that

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there is no more. Important. Significant and

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relevant passage found. In the Holy Scripture.

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Than the one we heard in today's gospel. which

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was taken from the 19th chapter of St. Luke.

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And in particular, I want to focus in on this

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one passage. Jesus has come to seek and to save

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that which was lost. This passage also is found...

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In many of the liturgical prayers. And a similar

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passage is found in the Old Testament. In the

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book of Ezekiel. When God says to the prophet.

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I will seek the lost. Bring back the scattered.

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You could put here the word drifters. I underline

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the word drifters. Bind up the broken heart.

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Today's gospel theme is essentially on this passage.

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You know, my dear people, so many preachers are

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promoting a theology which can be called a cotton

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cat. A cotton candy approach. What do I mean

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by that? It is contrary to the basic truth that

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Jesus has taught. A faith that no longer requires

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repentance. A faith that has removed the cross

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from the church. A faith that does not speak

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of sin. A faith that does not speak of the cross

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and the narrow path which the gospel speaks of

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is not Christian. Simply not Christian. And that's

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not being narrow -minded. It's simply being true

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to the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now,

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most of us are familiar with our Lord's unusual,

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and shall we say, revelationary encounter with

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Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector of

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Jericho. Probably something similar to our Las

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Vegas. Now the evangelist gives us some insight

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into his personality. He was a social and religious

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outcast because of his questionable moral character.

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He was deceitful with dealings with others. The

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gospel is clear. He was an extortioner. And he

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acquired great wealth through bribery. And most

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important, he was physically short in stature.

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Now that's important to remember. And I'll be

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anxious to see how the monks depict him. He heard

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of Christ's teachings, of his miracles, and of

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our Lord's compassion. Since he was passing through

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his city, Jericho, He decided to see if he could

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get a glimpse of Jesus. But the narrow streets

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were already crowded, filled with people, and

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so he was unable even to get a glimpse of the

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prophet. Out of frustration, he decided to leave.

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But as he was leaving, he spotted a sycamore

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tree. And he grabbed onto the first branch and

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there thought he would hide himself with the

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leaves. So he wouldn't be seen by other people.

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Because they despised him. What an amazing. Shocking.

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And surprising thing that happened. The Lord

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stopped at that very tree. Looked up. And said

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Zacchaeus come down. I must. visit your home.

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Zacchaeus to his surprise wondered how Jesus

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knew his name. And he thought, well, if he knows

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my name, he's going to expose me to all of the

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people. And it will be a dreadful, dreadful experience

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for me. But two things I want to point out. It

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would be a mistake to think that this was a chance

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encounter, a coincidence of Christ meeting Zacchaeus.

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Christ's encounter was a divinely ordained appointment.

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Secondly, As I mentioned, Zacchaeus was concerned

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that he may be exposed. But notice two things.

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Jesus never condemned him. And Jesus said, I

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must visit with you. You know, some fathers consider

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that tree. As a symbol of the church. Because

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it's in the church that we are elevated. Spiritually.

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Above this earth. Salvation is only possible.

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In and through the church. He who has God for

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his father. Has the church. For his mother. Said

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Saint Cyprian. It is grace which elevates us

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from the world. It's the church where we stand

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on holy ground. It's the church separating us

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from the deceit and idolatry of this world. It's

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the church where we are spiritually nourished

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in Christ. Where we are joyfully Joined in prayer.

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In honoring and glorifying God. It's in church

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where we receive forgiveness of sins. Through

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the sacrament. It's in the church together. That

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we support one another. And our pilgrimage to

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the kingdom of God. After meeting with Christ.

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We are told specifically of his repentance. Now

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Zacchaeus went far beyond what the legal requirements

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were to have his sins forgiven. He said, if I

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have taken anything from any man by false accusation,

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I will restore him fourfold. I would like to

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elaborate more on this passage. But as usual.

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Time constraints. Limits me. Saint Clement of

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Alexandria. In commenting on this particular

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passage. said that Jesus saw Zacchaeus not only

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in terms of his past life, but also in terms

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of his future possibilities. And isn't this true?

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He did the same with St. Matthew. Isn't it true

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he did the same with Mary Magdalene? Especially

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with Saul, who became Paul, one of the greatest

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of all Christians. The point is what Zacchaeus,

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what our Lord did for Zacchaeus, he can do for

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us. Jesus came to seek and to save that which

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was lost. In the New Testament term, however,

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lost does not mean eternally condemned. It means

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being lost in the world from God. From God's

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teaching. To our loving and forgiving Lord. Who

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has come to save and to seek that which was lost.

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Glory, honor, and thanksgiving. Amen.