31st Sunday in Ordinary Time @ St. Apollinaris Church

HOMILY - 31TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
OCTOBER 30, 2016
7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 5:30 PM (SUN) ORDINARY FORM MASSES

Born in 1859, English poet and mystic Francis Thompson spent most of his life as a homeless addict on the streets of London. Only toward the end of his life did he finally publish his poetry, among which was the poem titled The Hound of Heaven.

While this name may seem strange or startling, the poem presents the image of God as a hound chasing its quarry … “never ceasing in its running, ever drawing nearer in the chase”. It describes the pursuit of a wayward soul by the grace of Divine salvation.

Such is the desire of “God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth.” as we hear in the second chapter of the Second Letter of Blessed Paul to Saint Timothy.

We are probably not accustomed to visualizing God as a relentless beast stalking an errant soul fleeing toward sin … but there is a strong element of truth in this image of the infinite desire of God almighty racing to save each and every one of us.

Thompson’s imagery influenced several 20th century authors, namely Chesterton, Tolkien, and L’Engle to name a few.

When we are wont to despair of God’s presence, it can help us to realize that God is in all actuality pursuing us while we are running away from His grace. But God is not to be avoided so easily … such is His immense and unending love for all mankind.

Today is the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time.

In the Gospel, we hear the familiar story of Zacchaeus. The chief tax collector who, it would seem, is pursuing his own desire to catch a glimpse of our Savior who is moving through a crowd.

Here we see the arrogant and self-important senior agent of the hated Roman Empire hurrying … No! … running like a child … and equally childish-ly, climbing a tree to get a better look. The sophisticated government official becomes a child in order to achieve his simple goal.

Yet, in his hiding place … literally up in a tree … Zacchaeus is far from hidden. For we hear in Saint Luke’s Gospel that:
Jesus looked up and said,“Zacchaeus, come down quickly, fortoday I must stay at your house.”

And so, he who was lost … or hidden … or hiding … becomes, not only found … but commanded by Christ Himself. Zacchaeus becomes not the host of the Son of God, but in a turn of events he becomes the servant of Christ the Lord.

While Zacchaeus was drawn simply to gaze upon … to catch a glimpse of Jesus, Our Lord had greater plans for Zacchaeus … taking the smallest desire on the part of Zacchaeus and aligning it with His own greater Divine plan of salvation.

And so it is with us as well.

While we may merely be exploring, studying, or seeking to deepen our own Faith walk with Christ … He is pursuing us at high speed with a persistence and a passion far beyond our own wishes or desires.

Similar to the story of Zacchaeus, Christ desires not only to save and redeem us, but deeply desires to take up residence in our homes … in our hearts … and in our lives.

As we approach this altar to receive the Sacred Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, let us gaze upon Christ … He who has saved and redeemed us. May we recognize that He is pursuing us … in His deep desire to bring us into His own loving care.

May we turn toward Christ and accept His offer of salvation … so that as adopted children of God the Father, we might allow Christ into our selves and permit Him to truly save us … filling us with the grace and the power of the Holy Spirit.

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