An Invitation to Dinner

Homily for Tuesday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

In the reading from the book of Revelation, we hear two of the seven letters to communities in Asia Minor which stand at the beginning of this book. While there is the occasional compliment offered to the people of these seven communities, for the most part these letters point out failures of these seven Christian communities. Nevertheless, despite the failures of these communities, we also hear that they are loved.

At the conclusion of these seven letters, the writer inserts words that are an invitation. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.” I was struck by the fact that Jesus seems to be inviting himself to dinner. The Gospel text that we proclaim today contains a similar invitation. “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.”

While the Gospel text does not indicate that Jesus sat down to eat with Zacchaeus, if we take our cue from other readings from St. Luke’s Gospel, it is probable that the conversation that Jesus and Zacchaeus have was done over the dinner table. Table fellowship in the Gospel of Saint Luke frequently becomes the scene of repentance and forgiveness.

The effectiveness of our sharing at this altar depends on the depth of our hospitality. In a few moments, we will all partake of the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist. If we are aware of our need for this food, we must be willing to repent of our sins and accept the forgiveness of God. Indeed, Jesus tells us the same thing that he told Zacchaeus; namely, that he wishes to stay at our house today. Let us prepare our hearts and minds for this sacramental communion by pledging our willingness to hear the words of the Gospel and to recognize our need for this nourishment as we work to conform our lives to that of our Lord Jesus Christ.