By Deborah Castellano Lubov
As Pope Francis recovers in his residence at the Casa Santa Marta after being discharged from Rome’s Gemelli Hospital on Sunday, Mar 23, he has called on the faithful to never lose hope, even when we feel incapable of change.
The Pope did so in the text that had been prepared for the Wednesday General Audience, which he asked the Holy See Press Office to publish.
Since his medical team discharged the Pope, recommending two months of rest for a proper convalescence, the Press Office continues to distribute the catecheses prepared for the Audience, as it did during his hospitalization.
Lost his way
In his catechesis, focusing on encounters in Jesus’ life, the Pope reflected on the biblical episode of the tax collector Zacchaeus recounted in the Gospel of St Luke.
Zacchaeus, in a sense, the Pope suggested, had lost his way. “Perhaps he made wrong choices, or maybe life placed him in situations from which he struggled to escape.” He seemed to gain wealth at the expense of others.
Refuse to give up
When he heard that Jesus was passing through the city, the Holy Father recalled, Zacchaeus had the desire to see Him. Despite limitations, given his great desire, the Pope noted, he did not give up.
“You find a solution,” the Pope said, “However, it requires courage and a willingness to disregard social conventions, embracing the simplicity of a child and not worrying too much about one’s image.”
This, he said, is what Zacchaeus did; “like a child,” he climbed a tree. “Yet with the Lord,” he continued, “the unexpected always happens: Jesus, upon reaching the spot, looks up. Zacchaeus feels exposed and probably expects a public rebuke.
“The crowd might have hoped for that as well, but they are left disappointed,” for Jesus, he recalled, asked Zacchaeus to come down immediately, “almost surprised to find him in the tree, and said, ‘Today I must stay at your house!'”
God seeks the lost
“God,” the Holy Father marveled, “cannot pass by without seeking out those who are lost,” pointing to how Luke highlighted the joy in Zacchaeus’s heart.
“It is the joy,” he said, “of one who feels seen, recognized, and above all, forgiven.” Jesus’ gaze, he stressed, is not one of reproach but of mercy. “It is a mercy that we sometimes struggle to accept, especially when God forgives those whom we think do not deserve it.”
Concrete resolution and new beginning
Zacchaeus, the Holy Father recalled, “was not only a man of desire but also one who took concrete steps. His resolution was not vague or abstract; it started from his own history: he examined his life and identified the point from which to begin his change.”
In this context, the Pope urged, “Let us learn from Zacchaeus not to lose hope, even when we feel sidelined or incapable of change.”
Finally, Pope Francis concluded by inviting all faithful to nurture their desire to see Jesus, and above all, to let themselves “be found” by the mercy of God, “Who always comes to seek us, no matter where we have lost our way.” – Vatican News
