In the last portion of the Gospel read on November 17 (St. Elizabeth of Hungary) from St. Luke's Gospel, 19:1-10, Jesus said to the tax collector, Zacchaeus:
"Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
When I heard this Gospel during Holy Mass yesterday morning, as our Deacon delivered the homily referring to the last sentence, I realized that Our Lord Jesus, the Son of Man, loves us to such a degree that he will search us out when we go astray! Let me say that again, He will come to seek us, to go after us, to fix what is wrong in our relationship with Him.
I have always had a mental picture along the line of this image: where St. Francis ministers to a leper, just as St. Francis ministers to Our Lord. St. Francis seeks out the leper. He did not have to go to the leper to help him, but he did. Lepers were shunned in the days of St. Francis, as repugnant outcasts, and yet Francis embraced a leper. In a similar manner, Saint Teresa of Calcutta whom the world knows as Mother Teresa, embraces the dying person on the streets of Calcutta. These are very real and palpable examples of Christ's love for His sisters and brothers. We pray "In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit." In His relationship to His Father, Jesus is our Brother, and His mother Mary, is our Mother. Saint Francis and Saint Teresa of Calcutta, as well as all other Saints and Blesseds in Heaven are aware of this relationship. We should be aware of this "seeking" relationship also. For when we go astray, there is always hope. There is hope of penance, conversion, atonement, love and great healing because Jesus seeks us to return to Him. One of the most endearing images to me is that of the prodigal son.
This image evokes in me the knowledge that if we are sorry for our sins, misdeeds, the Father will always forgive us. We find the parable of the lost son in Luke 15:11-32. Verse 20 reads as follows:
"So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him."
Examine that very last sentence ... the Father sees his son while he was still a long way off ... and he ran to his son, he sought him out, just as Jesus seeks us out when we are in trouble!
Praise God for His love and forgiveness for us, sinners! He has given us these two examples in Holy Scripture, told in His Word, now it is our turn to take care of someone in trouble!
Fred S. Schaeffer, SFO
November 18, 2009
