Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 15, 2022
At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“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.”
Just before this passage, Jesus foretold his passion for the third time and knew that to fulfill his earthly mission, he would have to endure betrayal, torture, and, ultimately, death. I imagine that Jesus was apprehensive as he made his way to Jerusalem. Nevertheless, Jesus is not preoccupied with what is to come but continues to teach and heal on his journey.
Meanwhile, Zacchaeus is so keen on seeing Jesus he climbs a tree to view him from above the crowd. Jesus, looking up and seeing Zacchaeus, abandons his intent to pass through Jericho and instead invites himself to Zacchaeus’s home.
As a chief tax collector, Zacchaeus likely had few friends. Jesus’ self-invite clearly astounded him, and he received Jesus with joy. The invitation also moved Zacchaeus to immediately repent for his past sins and offer restitution and alms.
Are we, like Christ, open to seeking out and seeing the outsiders in our lives? We, too, must be looking for and recognizing those who are lost. Jesus knew that his earthly mission was “to seek and save what was lost.” Throughout his life, he never passed up the opportunity to spend time with the marginalized. Although he didn’t know it at the time, Zacchaeus was seeking God, and Jesus recognized this as soon as he saw Zacchaeus in the tree.
Are we, like Christ, willing to set aside our agendas and daily distractions and change our plans? This may cause a delay or detour in our journey, but it will also lead to amazing encounters and transformations.
As we continue our earthly journeys, may our focus not always be on our future plans or concerns but on present opportunities to show love and compassion to others, especially the outsider. As Christ’s disciples, this is our everyday calling.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, come, stay at our house! Interrupt our lives. Turn everything upside down! Rouse us out of our humdrum torpor, our apathy, our complacency. Surprise us with your nearness so much so that we, like Zacchaeus, will climb the tallest tree just to get the slightest glimpse of your face. Prepare our hearts to receive you with love. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Albert the Great was one of the Church’s greatest scholars.
Albert was born into an upper-class German family in 1206 and, accordingly, received some of the best education in Europe. Albert spent most of his education at the University of Padua. Despite his family’s disapproval, he joined the Dominicans, and he furthered his education by studying theology in Bologna. He taught at universities in Regensburg, Cologne, and Freiburg. Finally, in 1245, Albert became a master of theology and shortly after began to teach theology at the University of Paris. It was during his tenure at the College of St. James at the University of Paris that Albert taught his most famous pupil—Thomas Aquinas.
Albert was largely responsible for bringing the writings of Aristotle back in to the academic conversation. Albert believed that Aristotle's approach to the natural sciences and philosophy was not in opposition to Christianity, but, in fact, could be a useful support to Christians seeking to understand God's work in the world. Albert wrote an encyclopedic commentary on philosopher Peter Lombard's Book of the Sentences. His pupil, Thomas, eventually wrote his own Summa Theologiae largely inspired by Albert's work. Albert was a true polymath and wrote extensively on natural science, logic, music, mathematics, astronomy, metaphysics, natural law, economics, and politics.
Albert introduced, or welcomed, the study of Greek and Arabic, and paved the way for a renewed interest in Aristotle’s works, which fueled Thomas Aquinas’ study of Aristotle.
Albert was a brilliant scientist and a prolific theologian. In a commentary on the Gospel of Luke, he wrote the following about the Eucharistic command to "Do this in remembrance of me":
"He could not have commanded anything more lovable, for this sacrament produces love and union. It is a characteristic of the greatest love to give itself as food. As if to say: 'I have loved them and they have loved me so much that I desire to be with them, and they wish to receive me so that they may become my members. There is no more intimate or more natural means for them to be united to me, and I to them.'"
Albert is known as the “light of Germany” and was given the title “great” because of the depth and breadth of his knowledge. He has been declared a doctor of the Church, a title given to thirty-seven saints who are known for elucidating the faith by their teaching or example.
Albert the Great is the patron saint of scientists, philosophers, and students—for this reason, his statue is featured on the facade of the Jordan Hall of Science. The chapel in Zahm Hall is named after Albert the Great, because he is the namesake of the brother of Father John Zahm, C.S.C. Albert Zahm. Albert Zahm studied at Notre Dame in the 1880s and was a pioneer in flight. Albert Zahm is buried in the Holy Cross Cemetery on campus. A statue of St. Albert the Great stands in the chapel in Zahm Hall.
Albert died in Cologne in 1280. Some of St. Albert's relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
Albert the Great, whose faith sought understanding of all things and who used reason to seek a deeper knowledge of God—pray for us!