Our time is running short! We no longer have the time to slowly move along without feeling the necessity of repentance. I say this because our liturgical year will end in a month's time and so for the rest of the month our Sunday readings will be pointing towards the end of time reaching there ultimate culmination on the Solemnity of Christ the King. With the end of this liturgical year in sight we are truly beginning to run out of time while here on earth. Our opening prayer to today's Mass describes the situation that we find ourselves in by saying: "grant, we pray, that we may hasten without stumbling." This prayer shows the urgency that we find ourselves within because we must hurry instead of move about slowly as if we have forever to catch up. This prayer also acknowledges for us the reality of sin that causes us to stumble along the way. Despite all the obstacles that we find in our path our Lord is indeed merciful and will help us to avoid these obstacles if we so desire.
In our Gospel we encounter Zacchaeus who leads us forth in the example of being in a hurry. Despite the many temptations that had attempted to cause him to stumble in his faith he would not allow them to do so. Instead he ran ahead, showing his urgency, and climbed the tree that set him above each stumbling block that was placed in his way. It was from this height that his faith ultimately encountered the mercy of Christ. If Zacchaeus took things without urgency he would have missed this opportunity for mercy. If he would of allowed his stature to get in his way he would of stumbled along the way and in return missed this opportunity for mercy. Instead his example to us is a reflection of the words of our opening prayer: "grant, we pray, that we may hasten without stumbling." In his encounter with Christ we are shown the true forgiveness of sins that can be shown to all of us and we also see that daily conversion from our sins is possible if we place our sights entirely upon Christ.
It is with our sights entirely placed upon Christ that we can echo the words of Wisdom in abandoning our wickedness and believing in the Lord. These past two days on the Church calendar have reminded us of how abandoning our wickedness is indeed possible with time. Friday was All Saints Day and we see through the saints a reminder that getting to Heaven is indeed possible and that we are all called to be saints. All Souls Day was yesterday and we were reminded of the urgency of the reality of death because it is always set before our eyes. With this knowledge we trust in conversion and also are compelled to offer our prayers for all the souls of purgatory that they may one day achieve the perfection of love that is found with the saints. The saints did not lead an easy life because each day they had to work hard at drawing closer to God's love. They had to remove from their path each stumbling block because only with these entirely removed could they truly come to understand the love of God.
If we will ever be able to accomplish avoiding stumbling blocks inside of our life we must begin with true trust in Christ and within His Sacraments. The Eucharist has to become the source and summit of our life because here is not contained a symbol, but is truly the Body and Blood of Christ. In those moments when we stumble from the path that the Eucharist challenges us to we are given the Sacrament of Reconciliation to be healed by returning us to God's love and mercy that we have turned against through our own desire. When we are sick and in danger of death we can find our comfort from fear in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Also we must strengthen the Sacrament of Marriage through the foundation of Christ instead of the foundation of wordily pleasure. When we can begin to trust in these many sacraments we will join with Zaccaeus on the height of the tree and here encounter Christ's love for what it truly is instead of distorting it into stumbling blocks along our path.
May we hasten this day because none of us knows how much longer that we have. Eventually our time on this earth will run out. Our time is running short! Despite the shortness of time we have all the help we will ever need to avoid each stumbling block along our way is given when we place our trust in Christ, in His Church, and within the sacraments. Through these elements we will be transformed like Zacchaeus because this is the only possibility when we allow ourselves to be entirely open to God's will and love inside of our life. May we not hide behind our excuses, but truly allow Christ to find us when we stumble along the way. Each time that we return to this abundant fount of mercy we will be embraced by Christ. May we not fear this embrace of love, but instead hurry ourselves towards it before time runs out. May our lives become an outpouring of trust placed upon the words of our opening prayer. "Grant, we pray, that we may hasten without stumbling."
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