“The example of Zacchaeus shows us that entering into the Church every time is an entry into the living presence of God, which must make us remove the sinful baggage of the world”
On Sunday, January 26, addressing the believers at the end of the Divine Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Ioan Casian, spoke about the example of Zacchaeus the chief tax-collector of Jericho and the restoration of a socially just relational attitude following the repentance and the recognition of the injustices committed:
"The Gospel of this day sets before us the example of the Zacchaeus chief tax-collector and the way in which the appearance of a man or his worldly life until then may conceal a radical return to the deeply spiritual meaning of the human person and a rectification of the social behavior had until then. Zacchaeus, as the biblical text confirms, was a rich man who acquired this wealth unjustly. Although concerned about the material things derived from his work as a tax-collector, yet Zacchaeus remains in his depth a curious man seeking to see 'who Jesus is' probably intrigued by the One of whom already people was talking as being the Messiah of Israel. His surprise, and even of those who were gathered at Jericho at that time, was that Christ the Savior responds to his curiosity, with the invitation to descend in order that He may dwell in his house. And this the Lord does because he knew that the heart of Zacchaeus was already headed for a profound spiritual change that would be accompanied by gestures that would try to correct an attitude against the Old Testament law practiced until then. The encounter with God and its closeness to Zacchaeus produces a profound conversion of him from which the practical consequences follow - the correction and repair of things that were done inappropriately and contrary to the inspired commandments of the Old Covenant. In fact, what remains important to point out is that God's purpose and plan for man are respected. He comes for the salvation of man and especially of the lost. Zacchaeus had lost himself in the things of this world and had forgotten the appropriateness of the work done according God's command. The return of true sincere consciousness and true attitude is done only by meeting God. He causes that plane break between the surface of the world and its deep spiritual significance and vocation.
Zacchaeus is taken away by the spirit of the world in which he lives but the mysterious work of God and the deep search of man for a meaningful sense make the hurdle of the world disappear by entering the presence of God. Here's how the example of Zacchaeus shows us that entering into the Church every time is an entry into the living presence of God, which must make us remove the sinful baggage of the world we live in to remain within us with the beauty and authentic purity according to God of the human person and outwardly with the determination to rectify the things or gestures that we have done in the worldly spirit, passionately and inappropriately. Zacchaeus understands how sorry he is and converts straightening as much as possible, concretely by gestures the injustices. Zacchaeus understands and applies the spiritual ordinance consistently. Love of God and neighbor is fulfilled as far as possible. Repentance and righteousness in life in the attitude of God is followed by the repair of the evil done in social relations with the neighbor treated unjustly. The falling away from the quality of son of Abraham in the faith of Zacchaeus is canceled. Christ shows that this stature has two dimensions - a spiritual one and a concrete relational and material one. It is an authentic attitude for our world, showing the need for consistency between our inner spiritual attitude and our relational, external and material attitude.”
In serving the Divine Liturgy, HG Bishop Ioan Casian was accompanied by Fr. Daniel Sandu.
The responses at strana were given by the protopsaltis Valentin Botu.
At the end of the Divine Liturgy, the hierarch of Canada blessed those present.
