Reflection/Homily: Thirty-First (31st) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year C (November 3 2013).

Reflection/Homily: Thirty-First (31^st) Sunday in Ordinary Time of the Year C (November 3 2013).

Theme: Radical Conversion and Transformation on Encountering Christ

Today’s gospel reading (Luke 19:1-10) presents us with the encounter Zacchaeus had with Jesus which led Zacchaeus to a radical conversion and transformation. Jesus was passing through Jericho when Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree just to catch a glimpse of Jesus. Similarly, Jesus constantly passes through our lives in the experiences we have, places we visit and persons we meet. Like Zacchaeus do we make any effort to encounter him even in the least possible way? 

Encountering Jesus simply means giving him the attention he needs in other for us to be converted to him and be transformed. In our encounter with Jesus, we are only but recipients of divine favour. It is Jesus who truly works for us to encounter him. Like the parables of the lost sheep and coin, he is the owner looking for his own. But there could be a number of things that could prevent us from encountering Jesus.

Ordinarily speaking, Zacchaeus though short would have seen Jesus if there were no crowd surrounding him. His inability to see Jesus was not so much dependent on his size because it was no fault of his. Instead, it depended more on the surmountable obstacle the crowd imposed on him. Therefore, he needed to go away from the crowd in other to see and encounter Jesus.