 Standing at 5’2” tall, most people would describe me as ‘short.’ This is why it is easy for me to relate to Zaccheaus, who “was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature” (Luke 19:3). When a parent notices that a child can’t see, they often carry them up in their arms or shoulders. I remember my dad would do that often for me. When we were lined up to see a parade, I had the best seat in the house. Perched up on my dad’s shoulders, I could see the whole world from a safe place. … talk about a VIP seat! But now things are different. I’m still short, but I’m a full-grown adult. Hopping up on someone’s shoulders is not a solution anymore. I can not count the times I have been unable to see because of the people in front of me. It is even worse now; due to my disability, I must often remain sitting while others stand. Even sitting in a reserved wheelchair area, crowds often gather in front of me and block my view. They don’t intend to block me, but they do. In their eagerness to see, they miss the full picture. Not aware of my presence and how their actions affect me, they focus only on themselves and what they came to do. Going back to the story of Zacchaeus, he was so determined to see Jesus that he found a way.
The crowd gathered was there to see Jesus, but it was Zacchaeus who was caught in His gaze. Perched high up the sycamore tree, on his VIP seat, he did not let the unfairness of the situation get the best of him. His heart was not divided; He did not lose sight of Whom he sought.
But what about the crowd? Weren’t they focused on trying to see Jesus?
I imagine that climbing the tree was not Zacchaeus’ first action plan. I can see him pleading with his fellow men, saying, “Excuse me, may I please move in front of you? I just want to see.” And like an echo from the night Our Savior was born, their voices answered saying, “Sorry, there is no room for you here.” (cf. Luke 2:7).
We cannot be blind to the needs of those around us. Not wishing them harm is not enough. We will be judged on what we failed to do. We will be judged on when we failed to love. Will we be one more in the crowd blocking the way to Jesus, or will we lift others on our shoulders so they can see?
0 Comments
 What is the value of a human person? I recently watched a movie about the troubles created by the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001. The protagonist was tasked with determining the monetary value of a human life. The story goes that this monetary number would be used to compensate the families of those killed during the attack. His task was monumental, for how would you measure the total contribution of an individual to society? What about the person’s intrinsic value? What about the importance of that person to his family and friends? How do you even start to account for all that in dollars? The protagonist struggled with many formulas and determined a number to eventually understand that the value of a life cannot be measured that way. I do not think any man can really determine the value of another, but the sad reality is that most of us do this all the time. Created we are. We are sent into the world with intent, each of us unique. Our value is inherently infinite and only fully graspable by the One who is also infinite. Like a great work of art, our value comes from the execution of the Creator’s vision and by the imprint of His very hand, and we humans are the masterpieces of God’s creation, made in His image.
When I think about how little we value our fellow human beings, I become sad, for I see myself among the many who forget our true value. I imagine going through my individual judgment and telling Jesus how little I valued my fellow man. I can imagine the deep sadness in His eyes. We may have spent our whole lives searching for wealth and wellness, wisdom and enlightenment, and in the pursuit of happiness while walking by our brothers in need and ignoring their needs because we are blinded by our own goals and needs. This apathy we live with today is our judgment rendered on what we deem important, and it is keeping us from our mission, which is to love and cherish each other and to glorify God with all that we are, all that we have, and with all our strength. Our love and appreciation for our brothers, our acknowledgment of their very lives, and our active participation in society can be the means for sharing God’s light into the world. Why would we choose instead to separate, ignore, segregate, and isolate? A good friend of mine told me about the Desert Fathers and how, in his opinion, what made them great was that they left the world behind to commune with God and to live a hermit’s life. The Desert Fathers were great Christian personages of the third century, living in the desert, and some were even anchorites, residing in small enclosed rooms. In my friend’s words, I could immediately see the idealization of this concept of separation, of the idea of a solitary hermit’s life, where one would not have to interact with the worldly and could just focus on the spiritual. Yet, my focus was not on the idea that they lived a solitary life but that their lives were like that to share with us differently. If their lives were lived entirely isolated and separated from the world, how is it that we got to know them? The Desert Fathers shared their wisdom with others, which helped us know about them. There were many who observed, interacted, and shared life with them. I am sure that many even broke bread with them. The Desert Fathers definitively celebrated Mass publicly and spoke in gatherings. We can read and learn much from their extant writings. As anchorites, they gave advice and encouragement to pilgrims and other visitors. They shared their spiritual and physical gains with those in need, which honored the dignity of the many peoples they met. Can you imagine Saint Anthony of the Desert running away from another person to defend his solitude? No. I am confident he would not have done this but instead acknowledged and honored the person while offering a few words of encouragement. I always wonder why do we idealize this separation? We must indeed search for the quietness necessary to commune with Christ intimately, but we must learn to see Christ in our brothers. We do need to find that inner room, but as we read in Luke 16:19-31, we must also not ignore Lazarus, lest we also end on the wrong side of the chasm, separating us from Christ. It is our faith and belief that Jesus came for us, but do we also believe that He would have come too if it was only for one of us? For me? For you?
Jesus left himself behind in the Eucharist, and we all individually get to meet Him at his table at every Mass. Infinite His love is. He is also there with the poor and the needy, the sad and the lonely, the sick and the infirm, the imprisoned and the ignored. We know they are all Jesus’ loved ones, each of infinite value. Let us stop and ask for their names and present our caring hands so that our acknowledgment and love may help alleviate our Lazarus’ pains. Let us pray: Lord, open our eyes so we can see how much need there is in the world. Commit our hearts to alleviate pain wherever we find it. Help us to be of one heart and mind with You, that we may be your hands in this world. Amen.
 Dearest Eucharistic Family, It is a privilege to bring Holy Communion to the homebound. When driving with my PYX, there is a silence that divinely comes over me. I listen to our Lord attentively as I carry His true person. Through the silence, the other day in my travels with Jesus, a sign that I pass often seemed to jump out to me, “divided highway will end.” I began to think with our Lord and hear His voice, “I have taught you to pray.” The Our Father started to echo in my mind. It was like a hymn that passed through me, the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness is the way to the heavens, to eternity. There are so many signs of division in our society, with people looking for pathways to follow that are apart from God. “Divided highways” that tear us apart at so many levels. St. Teresa of Avila, whom we celebrate on October 15 each year in our Catholic Church, found the Interior Castle, a place within that was still through the turbulence and division life may bring. She lived in awareness that divided highways would end and courageously dedicated herself to prayer and ways to lead others to the mansion of God’s love.
There is one Body in Christ, one house of love, and a Kingdom to hold us. Our service to one another, even to those who have hurt us, will grant us a place in the tower of God’s eternal dwelling. Faith will take us there; hope will give us the grace to act, and love will desire for all to be with us. Saint Teresa of Avila embraced love through suffering and recognized that God had few friends because of this. However, the friends He would find through the Cross would be good ones. She tells us this:
The Eucharist, our sacramental life, keeps us in the cenacle. In prayer, we can give everything to our Lord and live. We need not hold on to anything as painful as it may be. God wants us to live, to love now by the Eucharist, raising us to the divine life. There is no other way.
Saint Peter Julian Eymard lived as a person ignited through his baptism, and his soul truly burst into flames through his awareness of God’s love and true presence in the Eucharist. He would ask the Lord what he could do to please him. Grace was poured into him as he held close to Mary and the Eucharist. There is much to be done to restore the decline in the practice of the Catholic faith. The Sacrament of Reconciliation watered in prayer can keep us in forgiveness with the desire to pray for others in concern of their souls. If we divide in our hearts, if we separate, there will be an end of life, for it is only love that lives forever. God’s love holds no measure, and it is infinite. Spiritual guides and friendships are essential to help us be released from the pains of this life; they help us find true forgiveness and to live in the freedom of God’s love. How do we know if we have genuinely forgiven others and been forgiven by God? In prayer, specifically the Our Father, and through the CCC/Catechism of the Catholic Church, we may find true freedom in placing our entire selves on the Altar to be transformed in Christ’s merciful LOVE and forgiveness. To genuinely will the good for another in hope they be with God is an inclination that we have forgiveness; charity expressed to others and prayer will crown this in God’s merciful love. CCC/Catechism of the Catholic Church:
Saint Peter Julian Eymard says:
The pathway through the Cross is the undivided highway that will lead us to Communion of life and true love into THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN now through the Eucharist.
|
Categories
All
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
AuthorsWe are Ivonne J. Hernandez, Rick Hernandez and Laura Worhacz, Lay Associates of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, and brothers and sisters in Christ. 
Archives
May 2025
|
RSS Feed