THE 31ST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME

Brothers and sisters, God’s power is seen in the wonder of his creation. But this power shines even more in God’s mercy. You have mercy on all, because you can do all things, we heard in the first reading. Of course, the power to create the world from nothing is impressive; but the power to forgive evil, to have mercy on those who choose to betray the goodness of love, is even more impressive, as that power is not only gratuitous but also undeserved. This power is what transformed the heart of Zacchaeus. Because he realized that he had done wrong, he was open to forgiveness and salvation, and so he changed his life. This is how things work: it would be naïve to expect someone to change just out of some formal duty; there has to be an encounter, there has to be conversion. And because God is powerful, his mercy can do all things.

This message brings hope, not only to our lives but also to our society. In times of challenges hope has to be more than optimism. Hope has to be rooted in the truth: the truth of our own weakness, and the truth of God’s mercy. Only in this way does mercy transform our hearts, and therefore, our society as well.

Let us pray for each other,
Fr. Daniel

 

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