October 30, 2022

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wis 11:22—12:2 2 Thes 1:11—2:2 Lk 19:1-10

GROW AS A DISCIPLE | PRAY, STUDY, ENGAGE, SERVE

GROW: When will wisdom kick in? Even so many years later, I still struggle with some of the same questions that kept me up at night when I was 21. Fortunately, God is patient with late bloomers. The Book of Wisdom reassures us that, first, God loves us, no matter where we are on the continuum of “having it all together.” Second, the Lord won’t judge us on our worst days, but wants us to grow in wisdom and holiness. The Wisdom writer knows it’s not an overnight process; it is often marked by one step forward, two steps back: “You rebuke offenders little by little, warn them and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O Lord!” Like Zacchaeus in today’s Gospel, if we seek out Jesus and ask for his help, he will show us the way. Thanks be to a God who comes “to seek and to save what was lost.”

GO EVANGELIZE | PRAYER, INVITATION, WITNESS, ACCOMPANIMENT

GO: At Mass recently, the priest encouraged parishioners to turn to the person next to them and ask them for whom they would like us to pray. I’ve been at Masses where we introduce ourselves, but this “Hi, how are you, please pray for X” was new to me. As Mass continued, I prayed for Matt, the son of the woman in front of me. She prayed for my friend Jim, whose sore knee had sidelined him during his walk along the Camino de Santiago. How encouraging it must have been for the early Christians to know that St. Paul held them in prayer, “that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith.” Just as Jesus seeks us out, we, in turn, can accompany others who may be lost or hurting or who just happen to be in the next pew. Through our prayers, we can build up one another, our parish, and the wider Church.

PRAY: When a friend shares a struggle or challenge, don’t be shy about offering your prayers. Make a list of people to pray for and set it by your bedside so you don’t forget.