Fr Ed Homily 11-17-20

Go Climb A Tree

The story of Zacchaeus climbing a tree has always intrigued me. All the story says that ‘he’ climbed a tree because he could not see Jesus. Why do we think then that Zacchaeus is vertically challenged (short in stature)? There is a lot of people who cannot see Jesus, but do we necessarily call them all short? No, that would be ridiculous. There are many tall people who cannot see Jesus. There are many people who can see Jesus but choose not to see him. Why? Zacchaeus could not see Jesus because of the crowd. Would you assume Jesus was short?

I got to travel to Israel and we did drive through Jericho. All of a sudden, the tour guide shows us a tree that is cordoned off. He proclaims here is the tree Zacchaeus climbed to see Jesus! Really?! After 2,000 years. The tour guide then admitted that the tree is more than 1,000 years old and would have been of the variety native to the land when Jesus would have been in Jericho.

What I was more interested in was how the town was structured. The streets were very narrow. Jericho seems to be in a geological bowl. The more you get into the center of town the lower you go. It would make sense to climb a tree to see Jesus.

In a few more days, there will be a great number of people climbing trees. What are you hoping to see? I hope more than just a deer. You will be amid God’s creation. Smell the air. Listen to the wind. Feel the bark of the tree. Remember, God spoke the Word into the darkness and created all of this for you. He gave you the virtue of joy, share it with others today.

As you pack for hunting remember to put your Rosary into your pocket. Now go climb a tree!

May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen