Sunday Homily, October 30, 2016, 31st Ordinary Time, C
Readings:
Wisdom 11, 22-12, 2, Before the Lord the whole universe is as a grain from a balance.
Psalm 145, I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.
2 Thessalonians 1, 11-2, 2, We always pray for you.
Luke 19, 1-10, Zacchaeus the tax collector in the tree.
Sez You Know Who, "Hi, Everybody, Thanks for coming to my party this morning."
Wisdom (of Solomon) observations:
Author: Not Solomon, but a compilation by numerous people.
Date: around 200 years before Christ.
Olivia, too, says, "Thanks for coming to my party." The Old Geezer is really jealous of your beautiful hair, Olivia.
Subject: Wise statements like
"Righteous people are protected by God and will never suffer torment." 3, 1
"Is it good to have riches in this life? Nothing can make you richer than wisdom." 8, 5
Today: Nice reading, especially for All Saints. Note the beautiful line, “You love all things that are.” Line 24
Thanks, Harper, for such a beautiful welcome!
Zacchaeus, the tax collector
Couple of questions.
For us today, listening to this delightful story, what does Jesus represent?
What does Zacchaeus represent?
I would propose that Jesus represents the person fully alive.
Who is this Candle Lighter of The Week??
Zachaeus represents the person who wants to be fully alive and who is willing to do anything to get there, even to looking like a clown in the eyes of his neighbors.
Zachaeus represents Everyman, or every person, all of us.
This room, our community is full of Zachaeus persons. John is a Zachaeus person. Carol, Tom, Frank, Dee, all Zachaeus persons, all trying to live fully.
Welcome, Mary, to your lovely Granddaughter, Monique, and her boyfriend, Zach.
Last night Rosemary & I had the privilege and honor to celebrate a Zachaeus event. John and Michelle Simari’s son, Scott and Scott’s beautiful fiance’ publicly pronounced their vows to live and love together all the days of their lives. They are fully alive as they are and they are reaching out to be even more fully alive.
In a note that Scott and Deanna sent to us to thank us, Scott said something that really touched me.
The Beginning, Ron escorting his daughter, Deana, down the aisle to a New Life.
When Scott was attending St. Marks with his family while I was there, he used to dream that someday he would have a fiance’ and get married. He dreamed, moreover, that the old geezer would do the wedding.
Last night on the fairway just below the 18th green at the Las Colinas Country Club, Scott’s dream came true.
Perfect Couple, Perfect Evening, Perfect Setting, Las Colinas Country Club, 18th Fairway leading 18th Green.
I have to share one more Zachaeus story that came in late, like at the wedding last night.
After many years of not seeing her, last evening I met Dana, a person I had known for years during my time at St. Marks. Dana introduced Rosemary & me to Norm, her husband of a few years.
Dana had been for years a flight attendant for Delta. She worked for years the N.Y. to Rome flight.
Deana Howard vows to live forever with her love, Scott Simari.
One night she met this guy while she was working first class. At the end of the flight, he says, "Will you marry me?" "No," she says of course.
This guy was Norm and he was taking his mother back to the old country. He says to Dana, "Meet us at the Piazza Navona tomorrow night."
The Sand Symbol of Unity.
Norm says he had been married 40 years before being widowed, and he never intended to marry again. He is pretty pessimistic, but his mother says, "She will be there." She was there, her first date since her divorce, as Dana says.
Zachaeus was a guy doing everything he could to be fully alive.
How are you like Zachaeus?
Welcome into your New Life, Deana and Scott. You two are tremendous people.