Kaukauna Catholic Parishes

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” How often have we said those words? Depending on our age, it might be anywhere from a few hundred times to hundreds of thousands of times. But how often do we really stop to think about what we are saying?

In order to put that in context, we need to understand God’s ability to forgive us. Fortunately, today’s readings help us to understand that more fully. In our first reading from the Book of Wisdom we hear: “But you spare all things [meaning us, his children] because they are yours, O Lord and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things!” The reading goes on to describe how God gently reminds us to avoid sin.

In the Gospel, we hear the story of Zacchaeus. By human standards, we would look down on Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, a corrupt and dishonest public leader. Our reaction to such persons is to avoid them, to punish them, to want to get even with them. But, thank goodness for our sake, that is not Jesus’ reaction.

Instead, when Jesus sees him he calls him by name, even though they have never met, and says, “Today I must stay at your house.” Notice that this is not a request but a declaration of fact. Jesus is saying, “I have to do this; I have to be with you, Zacchaeus.” We also hear how the crowd reacts, a very human response, with grumbling and judgment and shock that Jesus would want to spend time with such a despicable character. But Jesus looks beyond his past mistakes and sees only the person standing before him, a person hungry to be with him and to change.

We see the goodness of God in how Jesus treats Zacchaeus. Why? What is the key to the mercy that Zacchaeus experiences despite the judgment of the crowd? The answer is really quite simple. Zacchaeus sought Jesus. He wanted to be with him and made it clear that he would do anything to be with Jesus. He ran ahead so he could get a clear view and humbled himself by climbing a tree so he could be sure to see Jesus. When Jesus called him, he came down quickly and received Jesus with joy.

That is the same type of forgiveness that God offers each of us. A forgiveness that goes beyond our human understanding. A forgiveness that looks to the present, not the past. A forgiveness that brings peace, not condemnation. We have all made mistakes, we have all sinned, and God loves us despite those things in the past. At the same time, God loves us too much to leave us stuck there. We need to be like Zacchaeus and go quickly to Jesus – no excuses, no delays – to experience that forgiveness. As we soak in that forgiveness, we will learn to really live what we have prayed so often so that we will forgive others as God has forgiven us.

Deacon Randy