Pope Francis: Jesus continues to descend today’s hell with his mercy

Pope Francis reflected in the text of his catechesis, which he prepared from his residence in the still convalescent Vatican, on an episode of the “especially dear” gospel for him, because he occupies “a special place” in his spiritual path: the encounter of Jesus with Zacchaeus.

The Gospel of St. Luke, as the Pontiff recalled, presents Zacchaeus as someone who “seems irremediably lost.” The Holy Father said that “maybe we also feel like this sometimes: without hope.” However, Zacchaeus will discover that the Lord was already looking for him. “

Like Jesus, Jericho went down to look for those who feel lost, the risen Lord, added the Holy Father, “continues to descend to today’s hells, to the places of war, to the pain of the innocents, to the heart of the mothers who come to die to their children, to the hunger of the poor.”

Zacchae was a rich man and head of the publicans, those who raised taxes of his fellow citizens for the Roman invaders, something that was probably excluded and “despised by all,” said the Pontiff.

Before the arrival of Jesus and despite the guilt that nest in his heart, Zacchaeus felt the need to contemplate him from the distance. However, his short stature and the crowd gathered around the Messiah prevented him from seeing clearly.

Pope Francis used this image to remember that in our reality “we have limits we must deal with.” However, he stressed that, “when you have a strong desire, one does not discourage. There is a solution. But you have to have value and not be ashamed, you need a little of the children’s simplicity and not worry too much about the image itself,” he explained.

Then, Zacchaeus, “like a child,” climbs to a tree. And Jesus, when he arrives nearby, “looks up,” asks him to go down immediately and tell him: “Today I have to stay at your home!” (Lk 19,5). “God cannot happen without looking for the one who is lost,” said the San Father.

When he listened to Jesus, Zacchae experienced a joy in his heart, the joy “who feels looked at, recognized and, above all, forgiven. Jesus’ look is not a reproach look, but of mercy. It is that mercy that sometimes it is difficult for us to accept, especially when God forgives those who, in our opinion, do not deserve it. We murmur because we would like to put limits to the love of God,” he warned.

After pointing out that “God’s forgiveness is free,” Pope Francis remembered that Zacchaeus promised to return the quadruple of what he had stolen, since he wanted to “imitate the one he felt loved.”

“Its purpose is not generic or abstract, but starts precisely from its history: it has looked at its life and has identified the point from which to start its change,” he emphasized.

Finally, the Holy Father invited to never lose hope, just like Zacchaeus, “even when we feel marginalized” or unable to change. “Let’s cultivate our desire to see Jesus and, above all, let us find the mercy of God, who always comes to look for us, in any situation in which we have lost ourselves,” he concluded.