GOSPEL

From the Gospel according to Luke 19:1-10

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
“Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house.”
And he came down quickly and received him with joy.
When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying,
“He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.”
But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord,
“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“Today salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.
For the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Marital conversion

Zacchaeus serves as a powerful example of conversion. At first, the distractions of the world prevent me from truly seeing Jesus, clouding my heart. Yet, at some point, He crosses my path intentionally. When I show even the smallest desire to know Him, He invites Himself into my life, into my heart, to share His love with me.  
This leads me to realize just how lost I was without Him, sparking my first steps toward change. Conversion is fulfilled when I decide to surrender everything to Him and follow wherever He leads.  

Applied to married life

Henry: Gemma, I’ve noticed that my journey of faith mirrors the growth in our marriage.  
Gemma: Thank you for sharing that with me, Henry, How do you see the connection between the two?  
Henry:When I was consumed by my work, I couldn’t fully give my heart to you or to God. But as I grew closer to Him, I began to see His love reflected in our relationship. The more I let go of selfishness and dedicate myself to you, the more I feel I am giving myself to the Lord. That’s why I see such a strong connection between my faith journey and the transformation in our marriage.  
Gemma: I thank God for speaking to me through you because it’s true that I tend to feel very comfortable with God while being critical of you. But I’ve also noticed that the more connected I am with you, the closer I feel to the Lord.  

Mother,

We are still on this path of transformation. Guide us as we continue this journey. Praise to the Lord.