“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save
what was lost.” ~ Lk 19:10
In his 2002 Letter to Priests, St. John Paul II speaks of
the parable of Zacchaeus as an icon of God’s gift of mercy in the Sacrament of
Reconciliation:
“The story… presents the meeting between Jesus and Zacchaeus as if it happened by chance. Jesus enters Jericho and moves through the city accompanied by the crowd. In climbing the sycamore tree, Zacchaeus seems prompted by curiosity alone. At times, God's meetings with man do appear to be merely fortuitous. But nothing that God does happens by chance… This is precisely the case of Zacchaeus. Everything that happens to him is amazing. If there had not been, at a certain point, the “surprise” of Christ looking up at him, perhaps… Jesus would have passed by, not into, his life. Zacchaeus had no idea that the curiosity which had prompted him to do such an unusual thing was already the fruit of a mercy which… was about to change him in the depths of his heart.
“The story… presents the meeting between Jesus and Zacchaeus as if it happened by chance. Jesus enters Jericho and moves through the city accompanied by the crowd. In climbing the sycamore tree, Zacchaeus seems prompted by curiosity alone. At times, God's meetings with man do appear to be merely fortuitous. But nothing that God does happens by chance… This is precisely the case of Zacchaeus. Everything that happens to him is amazing. If there had not been, at a certain point, the “surprise” of Christ looking up at him, perhaps… Jesus would have passed by, not into, his life. Zacchaeus had no idea that the curiosity which had prompted him to do such an unusual thing was already the fruit of a mercy which… was about to change him in the depths of his heart.
…For Zacchaeus, it must have been a stunning experience
to hear himself called by his name… spoken in a tone of tenderness… Yes, Jesus
speaks to Zacchaeus like an old friend… He says: “I must stay at your house”… the
home of this sinner is about to become a place of revelation, the scene of a
miracle of mercy...
This is what happens in every sacramental encounter… the
forgiveness granted in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is… a real encounter of
the penitent with God, who restores the bond of friendship shattered by sin…
because the Father wants to do the impossible to save the son who is lost.
…Here the Good Shepherd, the priest, approaches each man
and woman, entering into a personal dialogue which involves listening, counsel,
comfort and forgiveness. They should be able to hear that warm and friendly
voice that spoke to the tax collector Zacchaeus, calling him by name to new
life.”
Read the full letter here: Pope John Paul II's Letter to Priests, Holy Thursday 2002
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