Daily Gospel Reflection
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November 16, 2021
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.”
What a mercy it is that perfection is not a prerequisite to approach God and to contribute to the common good! Like much of God’s mercy, though, this opportunity for grace is not always embraced at first glance, especially when it applies to others.
When Jesus warmly approached Zacchaeus, the Pharisees, and in all probability, Jesus’ disciples, seemed to say, “Wait, this guy? What good could come from a chief tax collector?” Christ could see in Zaccheaus what others could not—his heart—and a remarkable generosity blossomed from the encounter with Jesus. Zacchaeus was filled with joy and restored to others the wealth he had accumulated in his life.
When my sister, Katie, and I published Sorin Starts a School: The Foundation of Notre Dame this year, many had similar questions about Fr. Edward Sorin: “Wait, why a book about this guy?”
From historical accounts, Fr. Sorin was not as saintly as one might expect. His motivations were decidedly complex, but what if we looked at his story through the eyes of Christ? Despite Fr. Sorin’s flaws, he also possessed a tremendous faith in God’s love. It was this faith that inspired his relentless energy to create a place to honor God and to serve God’s people.
On November 26, we will mark the 179th anniversary of the arrival of Fr. Sorin and seven Holy Cross Brothers to a snow-covered, barren place near South Bend, Indiana. We now know this place as the University of Notre Dame—a community whose grace has been tangibly felt in thousands of lives.
Let us approach Jesus today mindful of our weakness but expectant of his mercy. May this encounter liberate us for a wonderful generosity.
Prayer
Zaccheus, a small little plump man, climbed a tree where he could see Jesus. Jesus looked up: “Come down, Zaccheus, I want to stay at your house today.” Salvation is here. Forgiveness is offered. Love and mercy are given even to the public sinner. Lord, look on our hopes in the midst of our occasional failures. Offer your forgiveness and invite yourself to be in our hearts today. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Margaret's faith was a catalyst not only to her own holiness but that of her family's.
Margaret was born a princess in Hungary around 1046 and, after her father's exile, spent much of her youth in the court of her uncle, the English king, Edward the Confessor, also canonized a saint. During the Norman invasion, Margaret's family fled from William the Conqueror and ended up shipwrecked on the coast of Scotland. King Malcolm of Scotland took them in and was utterly charmed by Margaret. Margaret and Malcolm fell in love and were married in 1070.
Margaret and Malcolm had six sons and two daughters, and Margaret was as excellent a mother as she was a wife. Margaret carefully supervised the education and religious instruction of her children; her youngest son, David, has also become a canonized saint. Margaret's husband Malcolm had a good heart, but was rough and uncultured and was often irritable and domineering. With patient wisdom and iron resolve, Margaret earned his trust as a counselor with her clear advice and practical wisdom. Through her example of rational goodness and kindness, Margaret softened Malcolm's hot temper and guided him in practicing a life of virtue.
Margaret used her position of great influence to promote the arts and more available education in Scotland. Margaret founded several churches with her husband and initiated dialogues with the hierarchy about reforming abuses of power in the Church. It was Margaret's great delight to make the churches she and Malcolm built beautiful, reflecting God's splendor. Margaret often embroidered priests’ vestments for Mass with her own two hands.
From today's Office of Readings, the office quotes the pastoral constitution from the Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes, to celebrate Margaret's saintly witness in marriage:
"True married love is caught up into God's love; it is guided and enriched by the redeeming power of Christ and the saving action of the Church, in order that the partners may be effectively led to God."
Despite her many duties in the court and for her family, Margaret was perpetually faithful to prayer. She gave up sleep in order to have time for devotions and she often meditated on the words of Scripture. During Advent and Lent, Margaret would get up in the middle of the night in order to attend Mass at midnight every night. On the walk home, she would stop to care for the poor beggars, washing their feet and giving them money. The destitute sought her out for aid, and Margaret never refused them. Pious legend claims that Margaret never sat down to eat herself without first feeding nine orphans and two dozen beggars.
In 1093, Margaret died at home in Edinburgh upon hearing the news that her husband Malcolm and one of their sons were killed in battle. Some of Margaret's relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dame's campus. Our featured image of St. Margaret of Scotland was created by Matthew Alderman, a 2006 graduate of the School of Architecture.
St. Margaret of Scotland, who helped your husband grow in virtue and taught your children to be saints—pray for us!
Image Credit: Image by Notre Dame alumnus Matthew Alderman, who holds exclusive rights to the further distribution and publication of his art. Used here with permission.