Prayer: God, Creator and Savior,
source of peace for the entire world: be our life today. O Christ, you call us to share with others:
unite us in your love. O Christ, our Shepherd, you come to seek those who are
lost, you visit the lonely and the abandoned: give them new hope. Comforting
Spirit, you place in us hope and joy: fill us with your love. Comforting
Spirit, you awaken in us a love that forgives: come to us, Holy Spirit. (Taize
Prayer for each Day.
www.taize.fr/en_article5806.html)
Read St. Luke 19: 1 – 10
Zacchaeus, the Tax Collector. What a great story of forgiveness and
redemption. Here is a man who was
despised by his own peoples for being a tax collector. Yet,
when he heard Jesus was coming,
he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a tree so that he could see
Jesus. Jesus looked up at Zacchaeus
and said, “I must stay at your home
today”. Wow! The crowd is horrified. Jesus has said he is going to the home of a
sinner. Gasp! Yet,
by Jesus reaching out to Zacchaeus,
Zacchaeus’ heart is changed. Zacchaeus
said that here and now he gives away half of his possessions to the poor and
will pay back four times the amount of anyone he cheated.
This story of Zacchaeus is in direct
contrast to the Rich Ruler. The Rich
Ruler could not give away his possessions and could not follow Jesus. Zacchaeus
gave away his possessions and paid back four times the amount of anyone
he cheated. Zacchaeus followed
Jesus. All because Jesus showed
compassion and love to Zacchaeus.
Today meditate and ask yourself how your community
could change if the Church showed compassion and love within the community.
Prayer:
Lord Christ, enable us
to turn to you at every moment. So often we forget that your Holy Spirit dwells
in us, that you pray in us, that you love in us. Your miracle in us is your
trust, and your constant forgiveness.
(Taize Prayer for Each day.
www.taize.fr/en_article5806.html)
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