The conversion of Zacchaeus

Luke 19:1-10

1. LECTIO

a) Opening prayer:

O God, creator and Father of all the children of Abraham, grant us the light of Your Spirit that we may serve You well and worthily, grant that we may follow in the footsteps of Your Word and that our actions may reflect that we are disciples of the one Master who became man for love of us and for our salvation.

b) A reading of the Gospel:

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 all 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."

c) A moment of silence:

so that the Word of God may penetrate us and enlighten our life. 

2. MEDITATIO

a) A key to the reading:

In the Gospel story, Luke likes to show the mercy of the Master towards sinners, and Lk 19:1-10 is one example. The story of the conversion of Zacchaeus tells us that no human condition is incompatible with salvation: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham”, (Lk 19:9) says Jesus. The opening text of chapter 19 comes after the teachings and attitudes that Jesus presents to us in chapter 18. In that chapter we find the parable of the Pharisee who judges and the publican who humbles himself before God and begs for pardon (Lk 18:9-14). Then there is the scene where Jesus welcomes the children, warning the disciples that it is to anyone who is a child such as these that the kingdom of God belongs… anyone who does not welcome the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it (Lk 18:16-17). Immediately after this, Jesus tells the rich aristocrat who wishes to obtain eternal life (Lk 18:18) of the need to sell everything and distribute the money to the poor in order to follow Jesus and obtain treasure in heaven (Lk 18:22). Then comes the teaching of Jesus on riches that are an obstacle to salvation and the promise of a reward for those who renounce all for the sake of the Kingdom of God (Lk 18:24-30). These parts of chapter 18 seem to lead us to the story of the conversion of Zacchaeus. Before the story of Zacchaeus we have two texts which contain important details:

1. The third prophecy of the passion where Jesus reminds us that now we are going up to Jerusalem (Lk 18:31). It would seem that Luke wishes to place everything within the context of following Christ;

2. The healing of the blind man of Jericho, who called Jesus, even though the crowd stopped him from going to the Master (Lk 18:35-39). Once more, Jesus gives light to darkened eyes and says that faith has saved this blind man (Lk 18:42). After regaining his sight, the blind man was able to follow Jesus whilst praising God (Lk 18:43).

These two texts together with the previous ones shed light on the story of the conversion of Zacchaeus. In this story we find surprising details that are already present in the aforementioned texts:

1. Zacchaeus is a rich man and chief of the Publicans – Lk 19:2.

2. He sought to see Jesus, but was not able because of the crowd – Lk 19:3.

3. He was short – Lk 19:3.

4. The crowd’s judgment that stamps Zacchaeus: a sinner - Lk 19:7.

5. The distribution of goods to the poor – Lk 19:8.

6. Jesus’ proclamation that salvation has come to the house of Zacchaeus – Lk 19:9.

Zacchaeus, a short man, one who is rich and chief of the tax collectors, welcomes the Kingdom of God like a child. He humbles himself and repents of his past and thus finds the salvation that comes from God in Jesus Christ, who comes to us to seek out and save what was lost (Lk 19:10). This is a theme that is dear to Luke and we find it in other parts of his Gospel as well (e.g., Lk 15:11-31).

b) A time for personal reflection:

Place yourself silently before the word of God and reflect on the texts presented in this key to the reading. Ask yourself:

1. What is the connection between these texts?

2. What does salvation mean to you?

3. Zacchaeus, a short man, shows his availability to welcome the Lord by climbing a sycamore tree. His curiosity was rewarded with Jesus’ visit. What do you do to show your availability to welcome the salvation of God?

4. Zacchaeus’ action reminds us of the curiosity of Moses that urges him towards the burning bush. There, too, Moses found salvation. Do you approach the Lord? Do you feel attracted to Him? 

5. Jesus goes to Zacchaeus in his sinfulness and in the house He brings him salvation. How attached are you to sin? Do you allow the Master to come to you, in that dark house? 

3. ORATIO

a) The prayer of the community:

O God, who in Your Son have come to seek and save the lost, make us worthy of Your call. Bring to fulfillment our every wish for good, so that we may know how to welcome You joyfully into our house to share the goods of the earth and of heaven. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

b) A moment of silence:

for personal prayer. 

4. CONTEMPLATIO

You will reveal the path of life to me,

and at Your right hand everlasting pleasures. 

(Psalm 16:11)

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector

Where do I base my security?

Luke 18:1-14

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection. 

Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen. 

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

The Gospel of this Sunday places us before the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax collector (Lk 18:9-14). We have added the parable of the widow and the judge (Lk 18: 1-8), because both of these form a small unity, the purpose of which is to help us discover what our prayerful attitude should be before God. The two parables show us that Jesus had another way of seeing the things of life and prayer. He perceived a revelation of God where others saw only the ruins. He sees something positive in the tax collector, of whom everybody said, “He does not know how to pray!” And in the poor widow, of whom society said, “She disturbs and bothers even the judge!” Jesus lived so united to the Father through prayer, that for Him everything became an expression of prayer.

Today, the simple people of the town who say that they do not know how to pray, know how to speak with Jesus, they speak with God all the time. Do you know any such people? The people have many ways to express their devotion and their prayer. 

During the reading let us try to pay attention to the two following things: What is the objective and who are those to whom the two parables are addressed? What are the attitudes of the people who are mentioned in the parables?

b) A division of the text to help in the reading:

Luke 18:1: The objective of the first parable.

Luke 18:2: Description of the attitude of the judge.

Luke 18:3: Attitude of the widow before the judge.

Luke 18:4-5: Reaction of the judge before the widow.

Luke 18:6-8: Jesus applies the parable.

Luke 18:9: Those to whom the second parable is addressed.

Luke 18:10: Introduction to the theme of the parable.

Luke 18:11-12: It describes how the Pharisee prays.

Luke 18:13: It describes how the Tax Collector prays.

Luke 18:14: Jesus gives His opinion on both.

c) Text:

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. "Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, 'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.' But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, 'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.' I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life. 

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) Which point pleased you the most in both of these parables? Why?

b) Which is the attitude of the widow and of the judge? What is it that strikes you  most in the attitude of the each one of them? Why?

c) What are the attitudes of the Pharisee and of the Tax Collector? What strikes us the most in the attitude of each one of them? Why?

d) How does Jesus apply this parable?

e) What do these two parables teach us concerning prayer? 

5. For those who wish to deepen more into the theme

a) The context of yesterday and of today

The context of the time of Jesus and of Luke is expressed in the two phrases of introduction which speak about the “need to pray continually and not lose heart” (Lk 18:1) and of “some who boasted of being just and despised others” (Lk 18:9). The context of today continues to be the same as before, because  today it is necessary to pray always, while today  there are also people who boast of being just and who despise others.

b) Comment on the text:

Luke 18:1: The objective of the first parable.

Luke introduces this parable with the phrase: “on the need to pray continually and never lose heart”. In other passages he insists in the same way on perseverance in prayer and on the need to believe that God hears our prayer and responds to our petitions. Faith in God which responds to our petitions is the red thread which pervades the whole bible, where, from Exodus it is ceaselessly repeated that “God hears the cry of His People” (Ex 2:24; 3:7).

Luke 18:2: Description of the attitude of the judge.

Jesus wishes to clarify for those who listen to Him, which is the attitude of God before our prayer. For this, in speaking of the judge, he thinks of God the Father who is the end of the comparison which he is making. If it were not Jesus, we would not have the courage to compare God with a judge “who neither has fear of God nor respect for anyone”. This audacious comparison, made by Jesus Himself, strengthens, on the one hand, the importance of perseverance in prayer and, on the other, the certainty of being heard by God the Father.

Luke 18:3: The attitude of the widow before the judge.

In the attitude of the widow before the judge we have the situation of the poor in society at the time of Jesus. Widows and orphans had no one to defend them and their rights were not respected. The fact that Jesus compares our attitude with that of the poor widow, without anyone to defend her, who seeks to claim her rights before a judge who has no human sensibility, shows Jesus’ sympathy for poor people, who insistently struggle to claim their rights.

Luke 18:4-5: The reaction of the judge before the widow. 

The judge ends by giving in before the insistence of the widow. He does justice not out of love for justice, but in order to free himself from the widow who continually pesters him.

Luke 18:6-8: Jesus applies the parable.

Jesus draws the conclusion: If an atheistic and dishonest judge pays attention to a widow who insists on her petition, how much more will God, the Father, listen to those who pray to Him night and day, even if He makes them wait. This is the central point of the parable, confirmed by Jesus’ final question: “When the Son of man comes, will He find any faith on earth?” That is, will our faith be as persistent as that of the widow, who resists without losing heart, until she obtains God’s answer? Because, as Ecclesiasticus says, “It is difficult to resist the expectation of God!”

Luke 18:9: Those to whom the second parable is addressed.

This second parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is introduced in the second sentence: “He spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being upright and despised everyone else!” Luke’s sentence refers simultaneously to the time of Jesus and to the time of Luke. Then, in the communities of the years 80’s, to whom Luke addressed his Gospel, there were some holding fast to the ancient tradition of Judaism which despised those who lived in paganism (cf. Acts 15:1, 5).

Luke 18:10: This introduces the theme of the parable.

Two men went up to the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. There could be no greater contrast between these two. In the opinion of the people of that time, a tax collector was worth nothing and could not address himself to God, because he was an impure person, in so far as a tax collector, while the Pharisee was an honored person and a very religious one.

Luke 18:11-12: It describes how the Pharisee prays.

The Pharisee prays standing up and thanks God because he is not like others: thieves, dishonest, adulterous. His prayer is nothing else than praising himself and the things he does: he fasts and pays tithes on all he gets. It is an exaltation of his good qualities and the contempt of others, whom he despises, especially the tax collector who is together with him in the same place. He does not consider him as his brother.

Luke 18:13: It describes how the tax collector prays.

The tax collector does not dare to even raise his eyes, but he beats his heart and says, “My God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” He takes his place before God.

Luke 18:14: Jesus gives His opinion on both parables.

If Jesus had asked the people, who returned home justified, all would have answered, “The Pharisee!” But Jesus thinks differently. The one who returns justified (in a good relationship with God) is not the Pharisee, but rather the tax collector. Once again, Jesus turns everything the other way round. Perhaps this application made by Jesus of the parable did not please many people.

c) Extending the information:

i) The first Christians present us with an image of Jesus praying, who lived in permanent union with the Father. The breathing of the life of Jesus was to do God’s will (Jn 5:19). Jesus prayed very much and insisted so that the people and His disciples also pray. Because it is in our relation with God that truth emerges and that the person finds herself in all reality and humility.

ii) The two parables reveal something of the prayerful attitude of Jesus before the Father. They reveal that even for Him it was not always easy. Like the widow, you must insist very much, as it is also seen in the prayer made in the Garden of Olives (Lk 22:41-42). He insisted up until death, He did not lose heart and He was heard (Heb 5:7). The two parables also reveal His experience and intimacy with God as Father who accepts all and whose love has gratuity as a central mark. God’s love for us does not depend on what we do for Him. He has loved us first. He accepts the tax collector. 

iii) Luke is the Evangelist who gives us more information about Jesus’ life of prayer. He presents Jesus in constant prayer. The following are some moments in which Jesus appears in prayer in the Gospel of Luke: 

* When He is twelve years old, He goes to the Temple, to the house of the Father (Lk 2: 46-50).

* At the moment of being baptized and of assuming His mission, He prays (Lk 3:21).

* When He begins His mission, He spends forty days in the desert (Lk 4:1-2).

^* In the hour of temptation, He faces the Devil with the texts from scripture (Lk 4:3-12).

* Jesus usually participates in the celebrations in the synagogue on Saturday (Lk 4: 16).

* He seeks solitude in the desert to pray (Lk 5:16; 9:18).

* Before choosing the twelve apostles, He spends the night in prayer (Lk 6:12).

* He prays before meals (Lk 9:16; 24: 30).

* Before speaking about reality and of His passion, He prays (Lk 9:18).

* In time of crisis, on the mountain to pray and He is transfigured while He prays (Lk 9, 28).

* In revealing the Gospel to the little ones, he says: “Father, I thank You!” (Lk 10:21).

* In praying, He awakens in the Apostles the will to pray (Lk 11:1).

* He prays for Peter so that he may be strong in faith (Lk 22:32).

* He celebrates the Passover Supper with His disciples (Lk 22:7-14).

* In the Garden of Olives, He prays, and sweat becomes drops of blood (Lk 22:41-42).

* In the anguish of the agony He asks His friends to pray with Him (Lk 22:40,46).

* At the hour of being nailed to the cross, He asks pardon for those who do not know what they are doing (Lk 23:34).

* In the hour of death, He says, “Into Your hands I commend My spirit!” (Lk 23:46; Ps 31:6).

iv) This long list indicates everything which follows. For Jesus, prayer was intimately united to life, to concrete facts, to the decisions which He had to make. In order to be faithful to the Father’s project, He tried to remain alone with Him. He listened to Him. In the difficult and decisive moments of His life, Jesus prayed the psalms. Just like any pious Jew, He knew them by heart. But the recitation of the psalms does not take away His creativity. Rather, Jesus Himself composed a psalm which He has transmitted to us. It is the Our Father. His life was a permanent prayer: “I always seek the will of the Father!” (Jn 5:19, 30). To Him is applied what the Psalm says, “I am in prayer!” (Ps 109:4). 

6. Prayer of a Psalm

Psalm 146 (145): A Picture of our God

Alleluia! Praise Yahweh, my soul!

I will praise Yahweh all my life, 

I will make music to my God as long as I live.

Do not put your trust in princes, in any child of Adam, 

who has no power to save.

When his spirit goes forth he returns to the earth, 

on that very day all his plans come to nothing.

How blessed is he who has Jacob's God to help him, 

his hope is in Yahweh his God,

who made heaven and earth, 

the sea and all that is in them. 

He keeps faith for ever,

gives justice to the oppressed, 

gives food to the hungry; 

Yahweh sets prisoners free.

Yahweh gives sight to the blind, 

lifts up those who are bowed down.

Yahweh protects the stranger, 

He sustains the orphan and the widow. 

Yahweh loves the upright, 

but He frustrates the wicked.

Yahweh reigns forever, your God, Zion, 

from age to age. 

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word, You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

A real prayer: 

the widow’s example

Luke 18:1-8

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send your Spirit to help us to read the scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection. 

Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen. 

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

This Sunday’s liturgy presents us with a text from Luke’s Gospel concerning prayer, a theme dear to the heart of Luke. This is the second time that this Evangelist quotes the words of Jesus to teach us how to pray. The first time (Lk 11:1-13) introduces the text of the Our Father and, by means of comparisons and parables, teaches us that we must pray always and tirelessly. Now, the second time (Lk 18:1-4), Luke has recourse once more to parables taken from everyday life to teach us how to pray: the parable of the widow and the judge (18:1-8) and that of the Pharisee and the publican (Lk 18:9-14). Luke tells the parables in quite a didactic form. Each parable begins with a brief introduction as a key to its reading. There follows the parable, and lastly, Jesus Himself applies the parable to life. This Sunday’s text only narrates the first parable of the widow and the judge (Lk 18:1-8). While reading, it would be good to keep in mind the following: “What is the attitude of each person involved in this parable?”

b) A division of the text to help us in our reading:

Luke 18:1: A key given by Jesus for an understanding of the parable.

Luke 18:2-3: The contrast between the judge and the widow.

Luke 18:4-5: The change in the judge and the reason for this change.

Luke 18:6-8a: Jesus applies the parable.

Luke 18:8b: A final provocative statement.

c) The text:

Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, "There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, 'Render a just decision for me against my adversary.' For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, 'While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.'" The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

3. A moment of prayerful silence

so that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life. 

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) What did you like most in this text?

b) What is the attitude of the widow? Or what strikes you most in what she does and says? 

c) What strikes you most in the attitude and words of the judge? Why?

d) How does Jesus apply this parable?

e) What does this parable teach us concerning our manner of looking at life and people?

f) What does this parable teach us about our prayer life?

5. A key to the reading

for a deeper understanding of the theme.

a) The historical context:

When analyzing the historical context of Luke’s Gospel, we must always keep in mind this dual dimension: the time of Jesus in the 30’s, and the time of those for whom the Gospel is written in the 80’s. These two times influence, each in its own way, the writing of the text and must be present as we try to discover the meaning Jesus’ parables have for us today.

b) The literary context:

The immediate literary context presents us two parables on prayer: praying insistently and perseveringly (the widow and the judge) (Lk 18:1-8); praying humbly and realistically (the Pharisee and the publican) (Lk 18:9-14). Although they are different, these two parables have something in common. They tell us that Jesus saw the things of life in a different way. Jesus saw God’s revelation where others saw something negative. For instance, He saw something positive in the publican, when all said, “He does not know how to pray!” And in the poor widow of whom it was said, “She is so insistent that she even troubles the judge!” Jesus was so united to the Father that for Him everything was transformed into a source of prayer. Many are the ways we can express ourselves in prayer. There are those who say, “I do not know how to pray”, yet they speak to God all day. Have you come across anyone like this?

c) A commentary on the text:

Luke 18:1: The key to an understanding of the parable.

Luke introduces the parable thus: “Then He told them a parable about the need to pray continually and never lose heart”. The words “to pray and not lose heart” appear frequently in the New Testament (1 Thess 5:17; Rom 12:12; Eph 6:18; etc.). This was a feature of the spirituality of the early Christian communities. It is also a point on which Luke insists both in the Gospel and in Acts. If you are interested in discovering this dimension in Luke’s writings, carry out this exercise: read the Gospel and Acts and write down all the verses where Jesus or others are praying. You will be surprised!

Luke 18:2-3: The contrast between the widow and the judge.

Jesus presents us with two persons from real life: a judge who neither respects God nor persons, and a widow who will not stop fighting for her rights before the judge. The simple fact that Jesus presents these two persons reveals that He knows well the society of His time. Not only does the parable present poor people fighting in court to have their rights recognized, but it also shows us the violent contrast among social groups. On the one hand, an insensitive and irreligious judge, and on the other, the widow who knows which door to knock on to get what is owed to her.

Luke 18:4-5: The change in the judge and the reason for the change.

For a long time, asking the same thing every day, the widow gets nothing from the insensitive judge. Finally, the judge, even though “he had neither fear of God nor respect for man,” decided to pay attention to the widow and give her justice. The reason is: to be free of this constant nuisance, a rather self-interested reason! However, the widow gets what she wants! This is a fact of daily life and Jesus uses it to teach us how to pray.

Luke 18:6-8: An application of the parable.

Jesus applies the parable: “You notice what the unjust judge has to say? Now will not God see justice done to His chosen who cry to Him day and night even when He delays to help them?” Then He adds that God will see justice done speedily. Were it not Jesus speaking, we would not have the courage to compare God to a judge with this moral attitude. What is important in the comparison is the widow, who, thanks to her insistence, finally gets what she wants.

Luke 18:8b: A statement on faith.

At the end, Jesus expresses some doubt: “But when the Son of Man comes, will He find any faith on earth?” Will we have the courage to wait, to be patient, even if God takes time to answer us? We need much faith to go on insisting and acting when we see no result. Anyone who expects immediate results will be disappointed. Many of the psalms speak of this hard and difficult insistence before God until He sees fit to respond (Ps 71:14; 37:7; 69:4; Lam 3:26). When quoting Psalm 80, Saint Peter says that one day for God is like a thousand years (2Pt 3:8; Ps 90:4).

d) A deepening: Prayer in Luke’s writings

i. Jesus prays in the Gospel

The Gospels present us with a Jesus who prays, who lives in continuous contact with the Father. Jesus’ only wish is to do the will of the Father (Jn 5:19). Luke is the one who speaks most of the prayer life of Jesus. He shows us a Jesus who prays always. Jesus prayed much and insistently, so that people and His disciples would do the same. It is when facing God in truth that the person sees him/herself in its reality and humility. Here are some of the moments when Jesus is praying in Luke’s Gospel:

Lk 2:46-50: When He is twelve, He goes to the temple, His Father’s house.

Lk 3:21: He prays at His baptism and when He takes on His mission.

Lk 4:1-2: At the beginning of His mission He spends forty days in the desert.

Lk 4:3-12: When He is tempted, He faces the devil with texts from scripture.

Lk 4:16: On Saturdays, Jesus goes to celebrate in the synagogue.

Lk 5:16; 9:18: He seeks solitude in the desert to pray.

Lk 6:12: He spends the night in prayer before choosing the Apostles.

Lk 9:16; 24:30: He prays before meals.

Lk 9:18: He prays before speaking of His passion.

Lk 9:28: In a crisis, on the mountain to pray, He is transfigured during prayer.

Lk 10:21: When the Gospel is revealed to little ones He says, “Thank You, Father...”.

Lk 11:1: As He prays, He inspires the apostles the desire to pray.

Lk 22:32: He prays for Peter, that he may have faith.

Lk 22:7-14: He celebrates the Paschal meal with His disciples.

Lk 22:41-42: He prays and sweats blood in the Garden of Olives.

Lk 22:40.46: In His agony, He asks His friends to pray with Him.

Lk 23:34: When He was being nailed to the cross, He asked pardon for His torturers.

Lk 23:46; Ps 31:6: At the moment of death He says, “Into Your hands I commend My spirit”.

Lk 23:46: Jesus dies with the cry of the poor on His lips.

This list of quotations shows us that for Jesus prayer was intimately connected with life, with concrete fact, with decisions to be taken. To be faithful to the Father’s plan, He sought to be alone with Him, to listen to Him. In difficult and decisive moments of His life, Jesus prayed the Psalms. Like every other devout Jew, He knew them by heart. Saying the Psalms did not quench His creative spirit. Rather, Jesus invented a psalm, that is, the Our Father. His life was a constant prayer: “At all times I do what the Father asks Me to do!” (Jn 5:19, 30). What  the Psalm says applies to Jesus: “... all I had done was pray for them!” (Ps 109:4)

ii. The praying communities in the Acts of the Apostles

As in the Gospel, so also in the Acts, Luke often speaks of prayer. The first Christians are those who continue the prayer of Jesus. Here is a list, which in one way or another, speak of prayer. If you look carefully, you will find other texts again:

Act 1:14: The community perseveres in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Act 1:24: The community prays so as to know who will take the place of Judas.

Act 2:25-35: Peter quotes from the Psalms in his homily.

Act 2:42: The first Christians are faithful in prayer.

Act 2:46-47: They go to the temple to praise God.

Act 3:1: Peter and John go to the temple to pray at the ninth hour.

Act 3:8: The healed lame man praises God.

Act 4:23-31: The community prays under persecution.

Act 5:12: The first Christians stay at Solomon’s gate (temple).

Act 6:4: The apostles devote themselves to prayer and the service of the word.

Act 6:6: They pray before imposing hands on the deacons.

Act 7:59: When he is dying, Stephen prays: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit”.

Act 7:60: Then Stephen prays: “Lord, do not hold this sin against them”.

Act 8:15: Peter and John pray that the converts may receive the Holy Spirit.

Act 8:22: The sinner is told,  “Repent and pray that you may be forgiven”.

Act 8:24: Simon says, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves so that none of the things you have spoken about may happen to me”

Act 9:11: Paul is praying.

Act 9:40: Peter prays for the healing of Tabitha.

Act 10:2: Cornelius prayed constantly to God.

Act 10:4: Cornelius’ prayers are heard in heaven.

Act 10:9: At the sixth hour, Peter prays on the roof of the house.

Act 10:30-31: Cornelius prays at the ninth hour, and his prayer is heard.

Act 11:5: Peter tells the people of Jerusalem: “I was praying”!

Act 12:5: The community prays when Peter is in jail.

Act 12:12: Many people are gathered in prayer in Mary’s house.

Act 13:2-3: The community prays and fasts before sending Paul and Barnabas.

Act 13:48: The pagans rejoice and glorify the Word of God.

Act 14:23: The missionaries pray to appoint the coordinators of the communities.

Act 16:13: At Philippi, near the river, there is a place of prayer.

Act 16:16: Paul and Silas were going to prayer.

Act 16:25: At night, Paul and Silas sing and pray in prison.

Act 18:9: Paul has a vision of the Lord at night.

Act 19:18: Many confess their sins.

Act 20:7: They met to break bread (the Eucharist).

Act 20:32: Paul commends to God the coordinators of the communities.

Act 20:36: Paul prays on his knees with the coordinators of the communities.

Act 21:5: They kneel on the shore to pray.

Act 21:14: Before the inevitable, the people say, God’s will be done!

Act 21:20: They glorify God for all that Paul has done.

Act 21:26: Paul goes to the temple to fulfill a promise.

Act 22:17-21: Paul prays in the temple, he has a vision and speaks with God.

Act 23:11: In the prison in Jerusalem, Paul has a vision of Jesus.

Act 27:23ff: Paul has a vision of Jesus during the storm at sea.

Act 27:35: Paul takes the bread, gives thanks to God before arriving in Malta.

Act 28:8: Paul prays over Publius’ father, who had a fever.

Act 28:15: Paul gives thanks to God on seeing the brethren in Pozzuoli.

This list tells us two important things. On the one hand, the early Christians kept the traditional liturgy of the people. Like Jesus, they pray at home among the family, in community and in the synagogue and together with the people of the temple. On the other hand, apart from the traditional liturgy, there appears a new way of praying among them in community and with a new content. The root of this new prayer comes from the new experience of “God in Jesus and from a clear and deep awareness of the presence of God in midst of the community: “In Him we live, move and are!” (Acts 17:28) 

6. Prayer: Psalm 63 (62)

A longing for God expressed in prayer

God, You are my God, I pine for You;

my heart thirsts for You, my body longs for You, 

as a land parched, dreary and waterless.

Thus I have gazed on You in the sanctuary, 

seeing Your power and Your glory.

Better Your faithful love than life itself; 

my lips will praise You.

Thus I will bless You all my life,

in Your name lift up my hands.

All my longings fulfilled as with fat and rich foods, 

a song of joy on my lips and praise in my mouth.

On my bed when I think of You, 

I muse on You in the watches of the night,

for You have always been my help;

in the shadow of Your wings I rejoice;

my heart clings to You, 

Your right hand supports me.

May those who are hounding me to death 

go down to the depths of the earth,

given over to the blade of the sword,

and left as food for jackals.

Then the king shall rejoice in God,

all who swear by Him shall gain recognition,

for the mouths of liars shall be silenced. 

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word, You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

The ten lepers:

Gratitude for the gratuitous gift of salvation

Luke 17:11-19

Opening prayer

Lord, while You are still crossing our land, today You have stopped here and have entered in my village, into my house, in my life. You have not been afraid, You have not disdained the profound illness of my sin; rather, You have even loved me more.

Oh Master, I stop at a distance, together with my brothers and sisters who are walking together with me in this world. I raise my voice and I call You; I show You the wound of my soul. I beg You, heal me with the good ointment of Your Holy Spirit, give me the true medicine of Your Word; there is nothing else which can cure me, but only You, who are Love… 

1. I read the Word

a) Text:

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you."

b) The context

This passage places us within the third stage of the road which Jesus is following toward Jerusalem; by now the goal is close at hand and the Master calls His disciples  with even greater intensity, that is, us, to follow Him to the holy city, in the mystery of salvation, of love. The passage is fulfilled only through faith, nourished by an intense, unceasing, insistent, trusting prayer; we see this when we go over the chapters which precede and follow this account (17:6; 17:19; 18:7-8; 42). These words invite us to identify ourselves with the lepers, who become children (cf. Lk 18:15-17) and with the rich man who is converted and accepts salvation in his home (Lk 18:18 ff); if we truly accept them and guard them in such a way as to put them into practice, we will finally be able also to arrive in Jericho (19:1) and from there to begin to go up with Jesus (19:28), up to the joyful embrace with the Father.

c) The structure:

v. 11: Jesus is traveling and crossed Samaria and Galilee; little by little, He is getting close to Jerusalem, there is nothing which He does not visit, does not touch with His look of love and of mercy. 

vv. 12 – 14a: Jesus enters one of the villages, which does not have a name, because it is the place, it is the life of all, and here He encounters the ten lepers, sick men, already eaten up by death, excluded and at a distance, marginalized and despised. Immediately He accepts their prayer, which is a cry coming from the heart and invites them to enter into Jerusalem and no longer to be at a distance, but to join the heart of the Holy City, the temple, the priests. He invites them to go back to the Father’s house.

v. 14b: The lepers had just begun the holy trip to Jerusalem, and they were healed. They become new men. 

vv. 15-16: But only one of them turned back to thank Jesus: it seems that we can almost see him running and jumping with joy. He praises the Lord in a loud voice, and throws himself prostrate in adoration. 

vv. 17-19: Jesus sees that of ten men, only one turns back, a Samaritan, one who does not belong to the chosen people: salvation, in fact, is for all, also for those who are far away, the strangers. No one is excluded from the love of the Father, who saves thanks to faith. 

2. Meditate on the Word

a) I enter into silence:

This invitation is already clear to my heart: The love of the Father is waiting for me, like that only Samaritan who turned back, full of joy and of gratitude. The Eucharist of my healing is ready; the room in the upper room is already adorned, the table is set, the calf has been killed, the wine has been poured… my place is already prepared. I reread the passage attentively, slowly, stopping on the words, on the verbs; I look at the movement of the lepers, I repeat them, make them my own, I also move, toward the encounter with the Lord Jesus.  I allow myself to be guided by Him, I listen to His voice, to His command. I also go toward Jerusalem, toward the temple, which is my heart and I in making this holy trip I think over all the love that the Father has had for me. I allow myself to be wrapped in His embrace, I feel the healing of my soul… And because of this, full of joy, I rise, turn back, run toward the source of true happiness which is the Lord. I prepare myself to thank Him, to sing to Him the new canticle of my love for Him. What will I give to the Lord for all He has given me?)     I consider more deeply some terms:

During the traveling: Using his beautiful Greek, Luke tells us that Jesus is continuing His way toward Jerusalem and uses a very beautiful and intense verb, even if very common and very much used. In this pericope or passage alone, it appears three times: 

v. 11: in the traveling

v. 14: go

v. 19. going

It is a verb of very strong movement, which fully expresses all the dynamic proper of the traveling; it can be translated with all these different nuances or tones: I go, I go to, I leave, I go from one part to the other, I go through, I follow. And even more, within it has the meaning of crossing over, of wading, of going beyond, overcoming the obstacles. And Jesus, the great traveler, the tireless pilgrim: He was the first one to leave His dwelling in the bosom of the Father, and descended down to us, fulfilling the eternal exodus of our salvation and liberation. He knows every path, every route of human experience; no part of the road remains hidden or impassable for Him. This is why He can invite us also to walk, to move ourselves, to cross, to place ourselves in a continuous situation of exodus. So that finally, we can also come back, together to Him, and in this way go to the Father.

Entering one of the villages: Jesus passes by, crosses, walks through, moves and reaches us; some times, then, He decides to enter, to stop for a longer time. As it happens in the account, Luke stops on some details and writes that Jesus entered a village. To enter, in the biblical sense, is to penetrate. It is the entrance into the depth, which implies sharing and participation. Once more, we find ourselves before a very common and very much used verb; in the Gospel of Luke alone it appears very many times and indicates clearly Jesus’ intention to get close to us, to become a friend and to show His love. He does not despise or spurn any entrance, any communion. He enters the house of Simon the leper (4:38), goes into the house of the Pharisee (7:36 and 11:37), then into the house of the president of the Synagogue (8:51) and of Zacchaeus the publican (19:7). He continually enters into the history of humanity and participates, eats together, suffers, weeps and rejoices, sharing everything. As He Himself says, it is sufficient to open the door to let Him in (Rev 3:20), for Him to remain (Lk 24:29)

Ten lepers: I ask myself what this human condition really means, this sickness which is called leprosy. I begin with the text itself of scripture which describes the stature of the leper in Israel. It says, “Anyone with a contagious skin disease will wear torn clothing and disordered hair; and will cover the upper lip and shout: ‘Unclean, unclean!’ As long as the disease lasts, such a person will be unclean and, being unclean, will live alone and live outside the camp”. (Lev 13:45-46). Therefore, I understand that the leper is a person struck, wounded, beaten: something has struck him with violence, with force and has left in him a sign of pain, a wound. He is a person in mourning, in great pain, as shown by his torn clothing and disordered hair; he is one who has to cover his mouth, because he has no right to speak, neither almost to breathe in the midst of others: he is like a dead person. He is one who cannot worship God. He cannot enter the Temple, nor touch the holy things. He is a person profoundly wounded, a marginalized person, excluded, one left aside, in solitude. Because of all this, the ten lepers who go to meet Jesus, stop at a distance and speak to Him from afar, shouting out their pain, their despair.

Jesus, the Master: This exclamation, this prayer of the lepers is beautiful. Above all, they call the Lord by name, as it is done with friends. It seems that they have known one another for some time, that they know about one another, that they have met before at the level of the heart. These lepers have already been admitted into the banquet of Jesus’ intimacy, to the wedding feast of salvation. After them, only the blind man of Jericho (Lk 18:38) and the thief on the Cross (Lk 23:42) will repeat this invocation with the same familiarity, the same love: Jesus! Only the one who recognizes himself to be sick, in need, poor, evil-doer, becomes favorite of God. Then they call Him “Master”, using a term which means more properly “the one who is on high” and which Peter also used, when on the boat, he was called by Jesus to follow Him (Lk 5:8) and he recognizes himself a sinner. Here we find ourselves in the very heart of truth. Here the mystery of leprosy is revealed as a sickness of the soul: that is sin, it is to live far away from God, the lack of friendship, of communion with Him. This dries up our soul and makes it die little by little.

He turned back: It is not a simple physical movement, a change of direction and of walking, but rather a true interior, profound upheaval or revolution. “To turn back” is the verb of conversion, of going back to God. It is to change something into something else (Rev 11:6); it is returning home (Lk 1:56; 2:43), after having gone away, as the prodigal son did, lost in sin. This is what this leper does: he changes his sickness into a blessing, his being a stranger, a foreigner, being far away from God into friendship, into a relationship of intimacy, like between father and son. He changes, because he allows himself to be changed by Jesus Himself, he allows himself to be reached by His love.

To thank Him: This verb is beautiful, in all languages, but in a particular way in Greek, because it bears within the meaning of Eucharist. Yes, it is exactly like that: the leper “does Eucharist”! He sits at the table of mercy, where Jesus allowed Himself to be hurt, wounded even before him; where He became the cursed one, the excluded, the one thrown out of the camp in order to gather us all together in His Heart. He receives the bread and the wine of love gratuitously, of salvation, of forgiveness, of the new life; finally he can once again enter into the temple and participate in the liturgy, in the worship. Finally, he can pray, getting close to God with full trust. He no longer wears torn clothing, but festive dress, the wedding dress; now he wears sandals on his feet, is shod and wears a ring on his finger. He no longer has to cover his mouth, but from now he can sing and praise God, he can smile and speak openly; he can get close to Jesus and kiss Him, like a friend does with a friend. The feast is complete, the joy overflowing.

Rise and go! This is Jesus’ invitation, the invitation of the Lord. Rise, that is, ”Resurrect” come back to life! It is the new life after death, the day after the night. For Saul also, on the road to Damascus, this same invitation was heard, this commandment of love: “Rise!” (Acts 22:10,16) and he was born anew, from the womb of the Holy Spirit; he recovered his sight and could see once again, he began to eat, he received Baptism and a new name. His leprosy had disappeared.

Your faith has saved you: I reread this expression of Jesus, I listen to it in His dialogues with the people whom He meets, with the sinner woman, the woman with the hemorrhage, the blind man…

• Jesus, turning around, saw her and said, “Courage, my daughter, your faith has saved you”. And from that moment the woman was saved (Mt 9:22; Lk 8:48).

• And Jesus said, “Go, your faith has saved you” and immediately he regained his sight and he followed Him along the road (Mk 10:52).

• He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you, go in peace” (Lk 7:50). 

• And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight. Your faith has saved you” (Lk 18:42).

Now I pray together with the apostles and I also say, “Lord, increase my faith!” (cf. Lk 17:6); “Help my lack of faith!” (Mk 9:24). 

3. I pray with the Word

a) Confronting life:

Lord, I have gathered the good honey of Your Words from the divine scripture; You have given me light. You have nourished my heart. You have shown me the truth. I know that in the number of those lepers, of those sick persons, I am also there and I know that You are waiting for me, so that I come back, full of joy, to make the Eucharist with You, in Your merciful love. I also ask You for the light of Your Spirit in order to be able to see well, to know and to allow You to change me. Behold, Lord, I open my heart, my life, before You… look at me, question me, heal me.

b) Some questions:

• If at this moment, Jesus, passing by and crossing my life, stopped to enter my village, would I be ready to welcome, to accept Him? Would I be happy to let Him come in? Would I invite Him, would I insist, like the disciples of Emmaus? Behold, He is at the door and knocks… Will I get up to open the door to my Beloved? (Song 5: 5)

• How is my relationship with Him? Am I able to call Him by name, as the lepers have done, even if from a distance, but with all the strength of their faith? Does the invocation of the name of Jesus always spring from my heart, from my lips? When I am in danger, in suffering, weeping, which exclamation comes spontaneously from me? Could I not try to be more attentive to this aspect, which seems to be secondary, worth little, but which, instead reveals a very strong and profound reality? Why do I not begin to repeat the name of Jesus in my heart, even if only with my lips, like a prayer, or like a hymn? This could be my companion while I go to work, while I walk, while I do this or that…

• Do I have the courage to present my evil sincerely, my sin, which is the true sickness? Jesus invites the ten lepers to go to the priests, according to the Hebrew law, but also for me, today, it is important, indispensable to live this passage: to tell myself, to bring out to light what hurts me inside and prevents me from being serene, happy, in peace. If it is not before the priest, at least it is necessary that I place myself before the Lord, face to face with Him, without any masks, without hiding anything and to tell Him all the truth about me. It is only in this way that it will really be possible to heal.

• The salvation of the Lord is for all; He loves all with an immense love. But few are those who open themselves to accept His presence in their life. One out of ten. On which side do I place myself? Am I able to recognize all the good that the Lord has done to me in my life? Or do I continue only to complain, always to expect something more, to reproach and accuse, to protest and to threaten? Do I really know how to say thank you, sincerely, with gratitude, convinced that I have received everything, that the Lord always gives me a surplus? It would really be very nice to take some time to thank the Lord for all the benefits which He has showered in my life since I can remember up until now. I think that I would never be able to finish, because something else would always come to my mind, Then, the only thing I can do is like the leper, the only one among the ten: to turn back, to run up to the Lord and to throw myself at His feet, and praise Him in a loud voice. I can do it by singing a hymn, or only repeating my thanksgiving, or perhaps weeping for joy.

• And now I listen to Jesus’ invitation: “Rise and set out on the road” After this experience I cannot remain without moving, closing myself in my own world, in my peaceful beatitude and forget everything. I must rise, go out, and set out on the road. If the Lord has blessed me, it is in order that I may take His love to my brothers. The joy of the encounter with Him and of having been healed in my soul will never be true, if it is not shared and placed at the service of others. An instance is sufficient to bring to my mind so many friends, so many individuals, more or less close to me, who need some joy and hope. Then, why do I not start moving immediately? I can make a phone call, send a message, write if even just a brief note, or perhaps I can go and visit someone, keep him company and find the courage to announce the beauty and the joy of having Jesus as my friend, as doctor, as Savior. Now is the moment to do it.

c) I pray with a Psalm

I called out to You, Lord, and You healed me.

How blessed are those to whom 

Yahweh imputes no guilt, 

whose spirit harbors no deceit.

I said not a word, 

but my bones wasted away from groaning all the day;

I made my sin known to You, 

did not conceal my guilt. I said, 

“I shall confess my offense to Yahweh.” 

And You, for Your part, 

took away my guilt, forgave my sin.

That is why each of Your faithful ones 

prays to You in time of distress. 

Even if great floods overflow, 

they will never reach Your faithful.

You are a refuge for me; 

You guard me in trouble; 

with songs of deliverance You surround me.

I (Yahweh) shall instruct you and teach you the way to go; 

I shall not take my eyes off you.

Rejoice in Yahweh, exult all you upright, 

shout for joy, you honest of heart. 

4. I contemplate and I praise

Lord, I have come to You from solitude and isolation, with all the weight and the shame of my sin, of my sickness. I have cried out, I have confessed, I have asked You for mercy, You, who are Love. You have heard me even before I could finish my poor prayer; even from far You have known me and listened to me. You know everything about me, but You are not scandalized, You do not despise, You do not draw back. You have told me only not to fear, not to hide myself. And it has been sufficient to trust You, to open the heart and Your salvation has already reached me. I have already felt the balm of Your presence. I have understood that You have healed me. Then, Lord, I could not do any other thing than to turn back to You, to tell You at least thank You, to weep with joy at Your feet. I thought I did not have anyone, not to be able to bear it, not to come out any more and, instead, You have saved me, You have given me another possibility to begin anew.

Lord, thanks to You I am no longer a leper! I have thrown away my torn clothing and I have put on my festive dress. I have broken the isolation of shame, of harshness and I have begun to get out from myself, leaving behind my prison. I have risen, I have resurrected. Today, with You, I begin to live again.

The Lord increases our faith, 

so that our lives may be 

at the free service of God and of neighbor.

Luke 17:5-10 

1. Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection. 

Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen. 

2. Reading

a) A key to the reading:

The text of this Sunday’s liturgy is part of a long section typical of Luke (Lk 9:51 to 19:28), which describes the slow ascent of Jesus towards Jerusalem, where He will be made prisoner, sentenced and die. A large part of this section is given to instructing the disciples. Our text is part of this instruction to the disciples. Jesus teaches them how to live in community (Lk 17:1).

b) A division of the text as a help to its reading:

Luke 17:5: The apostles ask Jesus to increase their faith.

Luke 17:6: Living one’s faith the size of a mustard seed.

Luke 17:7-9:  Living one’s life at the free service of God and neighbor.

Luke 17:10: Application of the comparison with the useless servant.

c) The text:

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

3. A moment of prayerful silence

that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life. 

4. Some questions

to help us in our personal reflection.

a) What part of this text did I like best or struck me most? 

b) Faith in whom? In God? In the other? In oneself?

c) Faith the size of a mustard seed: is my faith like this? 

d) To give one’s life in service without expecting any return: am I capable of living thus? 

e)  What does it mean: “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.”?

5. A key to the reading 

in order to delve deeper into the theme.

a) The historical context of our text:

The historical context of Luke’s Gospel always has two dimensions: the time of Jesus in the 30’s, when the things described in the text took place, and the time of the communities to whom Luke addresses his Gospel, more than 50 years after the events. When Luke reports the words and actions of Jesus, he is not only thinking of what happened in the 30’s, but rather of the life of the communities of the 80’s with all their problems and concerns, and he tries to offer them some light and possible solutions (Lk 1:1-4).

b) A key to the reading: the literary context:

The literary context (Lk 17:1-21) within which is our text (Lk 17:5-10) helps us better understand Jesus’ words. In this text Luke brings together the words Jesus used to teach how one should live in community. Firstly (Lk 17:1-2), Jesus draws the attention of the disciples to the little ones, that is, those excluded from society. The communities must hold these dear. Second (Lk 17:3-4), He draws attention to the weak members of the communities. In their regard, Jesus wants the disciples to feel responsible for them and to take an attitude of understanding and reconciliation towards them. Third (Lk 17:5-6) (and here begins our text), Jesus speaks of faith in God that must be the driving force of the life of the communities. Fourth (Lk 17:7-10), Jesus says that the disciples must serve others with the greatest degree of self-denial and selflessness, considering themselves to be useless servants. Fifth (Lk 17:11-19), Jesus teaches them how to accept the service of others. They must show gratitude. Sixth (Lk 17:20-21), Jesus teaches them to look at reality around them. He tells them not to run after the deceitful propaganda of those who teach that the Kingdom of God, when it comes, will be able to be seen by all. Jesus says the opposite. The coming of the Kingdom, unlike that of earthly rulers, will not be able to be seen. For Jesus, the Kingdom of God is already here! It is already in our midst, independently of our efforts and merits. It is pure grace and only faith can perceive it.

c) A commentary on the text:

Luke 17:5: The apostles ask Jesus for an increase in faith.

The disciples are aware that it is not easy to possess the qualities that Jesus has just asked of them: care for the little ones (Lk 17:1-2) and reconciliation with the weakest of the brothers and sisters of the community (Lk 17:3-4), and to do so with much faith! Not just faith in God, but also faith in the possibility of regaining the brother and sister. That is why they go to Jesus and ask Him, “Increase our faith!”

Luke 17:5-6: ‘Living with faith the size of a mustard seed.

Jesus replies, “Were your faith the size of a mustard seed you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea’, and it would obey you”.’ This statement of Jesus raises two questions: (1) Is He suggesting that the apostles do not have faith the size of a mustard seed? The comparison used by Jesus is strong and insinuating. A grain of mustard seed is very small, as small as the smallness of the disciples, but with faith, they can become strong, stronger than the mountain or the sea!  If Jesus was speaking today, He might say, “Were your faith the size of an atom, you could blow up this mountain.” That is, in spite of the inherent difficulty, reconciliation among brothers and sisters is possible, since faith can make what seems impossible come true. Without the central axle of faith, a broken relationship cannot be healed and the community desired by Jesus cannot be realized. Our faith must bring us to the point where we are able to move within ourselves the mountain of our preconceived ideas and throw it in the sea. (2) With this statement, was Jesus referring to faith in God or faith in the possibility of bringing back the weakest of the brothers and sisters? Most probably it refers to both. As the love of God is made concrete in the love of neighbor, so also faith in God must be made concrete in faith in the brothers and sisters, in reconciliation and in forgiving even up to seventy times seven! (Mt 18:22) Faith is the remote control of the power of God who acts and reveals Himself in the renewed human relationship lived in community!

Luke 17:7-9: Jesus points out how we must fulfill our obligations towards the community.

To teach that in the life of a community all must deny and be detached from their own selves, Jesus uses the example of the slave. In those days, a slave could not merit anything. The master, hard and demanding, wanted only their service. It was unusual to thank a slave. For God we are like a slave before his master.  

It may seem strange that Jesus should use such a harsh example taken from an unjust social institution of His times, to describe our relationship with the community. He does this on another occasion when He compares the life of the Kingdom to that of a thief. What matters is the aim of the comparison: God comes like a thief, without any previous notice, when we least expect Him; like a slave before his master, so also we cannot and must not obtain merits before our brothers and sisters in the community.

Luke 17:10: Application of the comparison of the useless servant 

Jesus applies this example to life in community: as a slave before his master, so also must our attitude be in community: we must not do things in order to earn support, approval, promotion or praise, but only to show that we belong to God! “So with you, when you have done all you have been told to do, say ‘We are merely servants; we have done no more than our duty’. Before God, we do not merit anything. Whatever we have received we have not merited. We give thanks to the gratuitous love of God.

d) A deepening on faith and service:

i) Faith in God is made concrete in bringing back brothers and sisters

First fact: During the Second World War in Germany, it happened that two Jews, Samuel and John were in a concentration camp. They were very badly treated and often tortured. John, the younger, was angry. He vented his anger by cursing and using bad language towards the German soldier who treated them badly and beat them. Samuel, the older one, kept calm. One day, in a distracted moment, John said to Samuel, “How can you keep calm when you are treated so brutally? Why is it that you have so much courage? You should react and show your opposition to this absurd regime!” Samuel replied, “It is more difficult to stay calm than to be courageous. I do not seek courage, because I am afraid that, due to my anger, he may switch off the last spark of humanity that lies hidden in this brutalized soldier”. 

Second fact: During the Roman occupation of Palestine, Jesus was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin. Because of His faith in God the Father, Jesus welcomes all as brothers and sisters, and in acting thus, He challenges the system, which in the name of God, keeps so many people marginalized. The sentence of the Sanhedrin is ratified by the Roman Empire and Jesus is led to be tortured on Mount Calvary. The soldiers carry out the sentence. One of them pierces Jesus’ hands with nails. Jesus’ reaction is, “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do!” (Lk 23:34). Faith in God reveals itself in the pardon offered to those who are killing Him.

ii) The service to be offered to the people of God and to humanity

In Jesus’ time, there was a great variety of messianic expectations. According to the many interpretations of the prophecies, there were those who expected a Messiah King (Lk 15:9, 32), a Holy Messiah or High Priest (Mk 1:24), a Warrior Messiah (Lk 23:5; Mk 15:6; 13:6-8), a Doctor Messiah (Jn 4:25; Mk 1:22, 27), a Judge Messiah (Lk 3:5-9; Mk 1:8), a Prophet Messiah (Mk 6:4; 14:65). All, according to their own interests or social class, expected the Messiah according to their wishes and expectations. But it seems that no one, except The anawim, the poor of Yahweh, expected a Servant Messiah, proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah (Isa 42:1; 49:3; 52:13). The poor often recalled the messianic promise considered as a service offered to humanity by the people of God. Mary, the poor of Yahweh, said to the angel, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord!” It was from her that Jesus learned the way of service. “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve” (Mk 10:45). 

The figure of the servant described in the four canticles of Isaiah (Isa 42:1-9; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13 to 53:12), did not point to an isolated individual, but to the people of the captivity (Isa 41:8-9; 42:18-20; 43:10; 44:1-2; 44:21; 45:4; 48:20; 54:17), described by Isaiah as a people “oppressed, disfigured, without the appearance of a person and without the least human condition, a people exploited, ill treated, reduced to silence, without grace or beauty, full of suffering, avoided by all like a leper, condemned like a criminal, without recourse or defense” (Cf. Isa 53:2-8). This is a perfect image of one third of humanity today! This servant people “does not cry out, does not raise its voice, will not be heard in the streets, will not break the crushed reed” (Isa 42:2). Persecuted but does not persecute; oppressed but will not oppress; trodden under foot but will not tread on others. This people will not enter into the abyss of violence of the empire that oppresses. This attitude of resistance of the Servant of Yahweh is the root of justice that God wishes to see planted in the whole world. That is why God asks the people to be His Servant with the mission of making such justice shine brightly throughout the world (Isa 42:2,6; 49:6).

Jesus knows these canticles and in fulfilling His mission He lets Himself be guided by them.  At the time of His baptism in the Jordan, the Father entrusts Him with the mission of Servant (Mk 1:11). When, in the synagogue of Nazareth, He explains His program to His own people, Jesus publicly assumes this mission (Lk 4:16-21). It is in this attitude of service that Jesus reveals the face of God that attracts us and shows us the way back to God. 

6. Prayer: Psalm 72 (71)

Hope for all that the Messiah Savior may come

God, endow the king with Your own fair judgment, 

the son of the king with Your own saving justice,

that he may rule Your people with justice, 

and Your poor with fair judgement.

Mountains and hills, bring peace to the people! 

With justice He will judge the poor of the people, 

He will save the children of the needy 

and crush their oppressors.

In the sight of the sun and the moon He will endure, 

age after age.

He will come down like rain on mown grass, 

like showers moistening the land.

In His days uprightness shall flourish,

and peace in plenty till the moon is no more.

His empire shall stretch from sea to sea, 

from the river to the limits of the earth.

The Beast will cower before Him, 

His enemies lick the dust;

the kings of Tarshish and the islands will pay Him tribute. 

The kings of Sheba and Saba will offer gifts;

all kings will do Him homage, 

all nations become His servants.

For He rescues the needy who call to Him, 

and the poor who have no one to help.

He has pity on the weak and the needy, 

and saves the needy from death.

From oppression and violence He redeems their lives, 

their blood is precious in His sight.

Long may He live; may the gold of Sheba be given Him!

Prayer will be offered for Him constantly,

and blessings invoked on Him all day.

May wheat abound in the land, 

waving on the heights of the hills,

like Lebanon with its fruits and flowers at their best, 

like the grasses of the earth.

May His name be blessed for ever, 

and endure in the sight of the sun. 

In Him shall be blessed every race in the world, 

and all nations call Him blessed.

Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, 

who alone works wonders;

blessed for ever His glorious name.

May the whole world be filled with His glory! Amen! Amen! 

7. Final Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

During her life on earth, the Blessed Virgin Mary showed herself to be the perfect image for the disciple of Christ. For this reason, in her apostolic mission the Church follows the example of the Virgin Mother of God - the perfect model of the following of Christ - especially in her commitment to our redemption, which Mary actively participated in from her "Fiat" to the Incarnation, to her presence at the foot of the Cross, and in her solidarity with the first Christian community gathered in prayer.

The Carmelite Constitutions (no. 91) speaking of the apostolic mission of the Order in the Local Church declare that "the Carmelite mission shares in the mission of Jesus, who was sent to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God and to bring about the total liberation of humanity from all sin and oppression. Our ministry as Carmelites is, therefore an integral part of our charism. We are guided in this by the teaching of the pastors of the Church; by our tradition and by the values it upholds; by the signs of the times; and above all, by attentive listening to the Word, having regard also for its interpretation from the perspective of the poor. We are to evaluate and renew our service (diakonia) in the Church, so that we may better respond to the questions raised by the cultural, social and religious circumstances of the people. In our mission, we must take into account the talents and charisms of the brethren, and be aware of the natural limitations of our contribution."

The way God calls men and women to commit themselves to the building of the Kingdom is indeed mysterious and beyond our knowledge! Eight centuries ago, some Christians from different countries, inspired by the Spirit of God and by their own desire to serve the Lord faithfully, gathered on Mount Carmel in Palestine. These were the first Carmelites. Since then, the Lord has not ceased to call men and women to follow Him in the Carmelite Family. Faithful to their call to contemplation, fraternity and service, these men and women have spread to many countries in the world.
The Kingdom of God has not yet come in its fullness and the Spirit continues to call men and women to commit themselves to the Kingdom in the bosom of the Carmelite Family. Indeed, in recent times, the Carmelite Family has experienced an increase in religious and lay vocations..... and, at times, even in countries where the Carmelites are not present yet! In order to face the challenge of these young people and to welcome them into the Family, the Carmelite Order is committed to several missionary activities.
In response to the Spirit who is calling these men and women from various parts of the world to commit themselves to the building of the Kingdom of God and to the service of humanity, the Carmelite Order has committed itself in faith and with courage to realise these projects. It is the Spirit of God who gave birth to the Carmelite Family and who for eight centuries has blessed and guided it. It is obvious that these projects are costly and will meet with difficulties, but with the help of God and of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the good will of the Carmelite Family and the help of all Christians, zealous for the spread of the Kingdom of God, all is possible.  If, in some way, you would like to help to make these projects come true, you are invited to contact:

• Hermits of the Bl. V. Mary of Mt. Carmel (Christoval)
• Hermits of the Bl. V. Mary of Mt. Carmel (Lake Elmo)