31st Sunday C

Welcome to our Bible Study
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time C
30 October 2016
In preparation for this Sunday’s liturgy
As aid in focusing our homilies and sharing
Prepared by Fr. Cielo R. Almazan, OFM

1st reading: Wisdom 11,22—12,2
 22 Before the Lord the whole universe is as a grain
from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down
upon the earth. 23 But you have mercy on all,
because you can do all things; and you overlook the
sins of men that they may repent. 24 For you love all
things that are and loathe nothing that you have
made; for what you hated, you would not have
fashioned. 25 And how could a thing remain, unless
you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called
forth by you? 26 But you spare all things, because
they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls, 12:1 for
your imperishable spirit is in all things! 2 Therefore
you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and
remind them of the sins they are committing, that they
may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O
LORD!
The focus is on God’s mercy.

Big universe made small
 22 Before the Lord the whole universe is as a grain from a
balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the
earth.
God’s mercy
 23 But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things;
 and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent.
 24 For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you
have made; for what you hated, you would not have
fashioned.
 25 And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be
preserved, had it not been called forth by you? 26 But you
spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover
of souls, 12:1 for your imperishable spirit is in all things!
God’s rebuke
 2 Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them,
and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they
may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!
A simple outline!

Textual Context of Wisdom 11,22—12,2
Wis 7,22 The Nature of Wisdom
Wis 8,2-8 Solomon’s Love for Wisdom
Wis 8,9 Wisdom Indispensable to Rulers
Wis 9,1-13 Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom
Wis 10,1-14 The Work of Wisdom from Adam to Moses
Wis 10,15 Wisdom Led the Israelites out of Egypt
Wis 11,1-14 Wisdom Led the Israelites through the Desert
Wis 11,15-20 Punishment of the Wicked
Wis 11,21-26 God is Powerful and Merciful
Wis 12,1-11 The Sins of the Canaanites
Wis 12,12-18 God is Sovereign
Wis 12,19-22 God’s Lessons for Israel
Wis 12,23 The Punishment of the Egyptians
Wis 13,1-9 The Foolishness of Nature Worship

Big universe made
small
 22 Before you the
whole universe is as
a grain from a
balance, or a drop of
morning dew come
down upon the
earth.
God’s mercy
 23 But you have
mercy on all,
because you can do
all things;
 and you overlook the
sins of men that they
may repent.
Commentary
 The Book of Wisdom is one of the
deuterocanonical books of the OT.
 The text is a prayer of the author.
 V.22 acknowledges God’s point of view on
the universe.
 Only a grain from a balance
 A drop of morning dew
 Very small, compared to how we perceive it to
be.
 V.23 acknowledges God’s magnanimity
towards all. (mercy)
 God can have mercy on all, because he is
powerful. Nothing is impossible to him.
 In v.23b, God “overlooks sins” – here we find
the reason why people should repent.
 What we usually know is that when we
repent, God overlooks our sins.
 Here, it is the other way around.

 24 For you love all things
that are and loathe nothing
that you have made; for
what you hated, you would
not have fashioned.
 25 And how could a thing
remain, unless you willed it;
or be preserved, had it not
been called forth by you?
26 But you spare all things,
because they are yours, O
LORD and lover of souls,
12:1 for your imperishable
spirit is in all things!
God’s rebuke
 2 Therefore you rebuke
offenders little by little,
warn them, and remind
them of the sins they are
committing, that they may
abandon their wickedness
and believe in you, O
LORD!
 V.24 affirms God’s love for his creation.
He does not reject anyone, anything.
 In v.25, nothing remains (survives)
without God willing it.
 V.26 gives the reason why: They are
his.
 In 12,1, God’s spirit permeates in
everything.
 In 12,2, God rebukes (admonishes,
chastises) offenders, violators and
unbelievers.
 People should realize how ungrateful
they are, and that they need to repent,
go back to God.

Reflections on the 1st reading
 Who are we not to repent?
 We repent because God is merciful, not so much
because we will be punished.
 If only we know who God really is, we will be
ready to repent.
 If we repent, we tell the whole world that God is
merciful.
 God wants to preserve us all.
 He does not reject anyone.
 We are all important in his eyes.

Resp. Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14
 R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.
 1 I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
 8 The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.

10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might.
 13 The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
14 The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.

Resp. Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14
 R. (cf. 1) I will praise your name for
ever, my king and my God.
 1 I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and
ever.
2 Every day will I bless you, and I will
praise your name forever and ever.
 8 The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his
works.
10 Let all your works give you thanks,
O LORD, and let your faithful ones
bless you.
11 Let them discourse of the glory of
your kingdom and speak of your might.
 13 The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
14 The LORD lifts up all who are
falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
Commentary
 The psalm aptly responds to the
merciful God.
 The psalmist must have experienced
God’s mercy.
 Now, in vv.1-2, the psalmist promises
to extol, bless and praise God for
ever.
 Vv.8-9 give the reasons by
enumerating God’s qualities:
 Gracious, merciful, slow to anger,
kind, good to all, compassionate to his
creatures.
 Vv.10-11 exhort all creatures /
believers to give thanks, bless, speak
of God’s glory and might.
 Vv.13-14 also give the reasons by
again enumerating God’s qualities:
 Faithful, holy, helpful, lifts up, raises
up those who are humiliated.

2nd reading: 2 Thessalonians 1,11--2,2
 11 We always pray for you, that our God may
make you worthy of his calling and powerfully
bring to fulfillment every good purpose and
every effort of faith, 12 that the name of our
Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in
him, in accord with the grace of our God and
Lord Jesus Christ. 2:1 We ask you, brothers,
with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ and our assembling with him, 2 not to be
shaken out of your minds suddenly, or to be
alarmed either by a "spirit," or by an oral
statement, or by a letter allegedly from us to the
effect that the day of the Lord is at hand.
The focus is on the coming of the Lord.

The Prayer of Paul
 11 We always pray for you,
that our God may make you worthy of his calling and
powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and
every effort of faith,
12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in
you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God
and Lord Jesus Christ.
The exhortation of Paul
 2:1 We ask you, brothers, with regard to the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling with him,
2 not to be shaken out of your minds suddenly,
or to be alarmed either by a "spirit,"
or by an oral statement,
or by a letter allegedly from us to the effect that the day of
the Lord is at hand.
A simple outline!

Textual Context of 2 Thess 1,11--2,2
I Opening Formula 1,1-2
II Test of Persecution Leading to the Lord’s Glory in Judgment 1,3-12
Thanksgiving 1,3-10
Prayer 1,11-12
III Proper Understanding of the Parousia 2,1-17
The Lord’s Triumph over Deception 2,1-15
Prayer for Strengthening 2,16-17
IV Two Sets of Closing Exhortations and Prayers 3,1—5,6-16
V Final Greetings 3,17-18

The Prayer of Paul
 that our God may make you
worthy of his calling and
powerfully bring to fulfillment
every good purpose and every
effort of faith,
 12 that the name of our Lord
Jesus may be glorified in you, and
you in him, in accord with the
grace of our God and Lord Jesus
Christ.
 2:1 We ask you, brothers, with regard
to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
 2 not to be shaken out of your
minds suddenly,
 or to be alarmed either by a
"spirit,"
 or by an oral statement,
 or by a letter allegedly from us to
the effect that the day of the Lord
is at hand.
Commentary
 Many scholars say Paul did not write
the 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians. It
was written by someone else at a
later date, after the death of Paul. For
convenience, we refer to Paul as the
author.
 The text is divided into two:
 1) Prayer of Paul, vv.11-12.
 2) Exhortation, vv.2,1-2
 V.11-12 is a prayer / wish with two
important intentions of the author, in
plural form (we, community)
 1) God may make you worthy and
God may bring to fulfillment
 2) the name of Jesus be glorified in
you and vice versa.
 It is a prayer of a leader, who
understands the meaning of
vocation, good purpose and faith.
 It is also a prayer of someone, who
understands the purpose of Christ:
to be glorified in us and vice versa.

The Prayer of Paul
 that our God may make you
worthy of his calling and
powerfully bring to fulfillment
every good purpose and every
effort of faith,
 12 that the name of our Lord
Jesus may be glorified in you, and
you in him, in accord with the
grace of our God and Lord Jesus
Christ.
 2:1 We ask you, brothers, with regard
to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
and our assembling with him,
 2 not to be shaken out of your
minds suddenly,
 or to be alarmed either
 by a "spirit,"
 or by an oral statement,
 or by a letter allegedly from us
to the effect that the day of the
Lord is at hand.
 In 2,1, the author talks about the
second coming of Christ and the
Christians gathering around him.
 2,2 warns the Christians
 Not to be shaken (not to be
carried away). Their minds
should be focused.
 Not to be alarmed (not to be
worried, insecure) by false
alarms.
 The Christians must take their cue
from a reliable source (author
himself), not from third persons,
who do not belong to the group of
Paul.

Reflections on the 2nd reading
 God wills that we live up to our Christian name and
calling.
 He wants us to be prepared for the second coming of
his Son.
 With regard to his second coming, we should not
entertain those who scare us. We must be wise enough
on whom to listen to.
 Catholics should listen to their pastors, not to the born-
again preachers, self-styled tele-evangelists and other
groups, with regard to biblical interpretations, faith and
morals.
 Many of us have been victimized by them, because (kasi
tatanga-tanga tayo), we are not smart enough.

Gospel reading: Luke 19,1-10
 1 At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass
through the town. 2 Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, 3
was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see
him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. 4
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to
see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. 5 When he
reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him,
"Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at
your house." 6 And he came down quickly and received
him with joy. 7 When they all saw this, they began to
grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a
sinner." 8 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." 9 And Jesus said to him,
"Today salvation has come to this house because this
man too is a descendant of Abraham. 10 For the Son of
Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."
The focus is on God’s mercy.

Setting
 1 At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Zacchaeus
 2 Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and
also a wealthy man, 3 was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not
see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. 4 So he ran
ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to
pass that way.
Jesus
 5 When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus,
come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." 6 And he came
down quickly and received him with joy.
People (who think like the Pharisees?)
 7 When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to
stay at the house of a sinner."
Zacchaeus
 8 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."
Jesus, the Son of Man
 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because
this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come
to seek and to save what was lost."
A simple outline!

Textual Context of Luke 19,1-10
 18,24-30 The Riches and Resurrection
 18,31-34 The Third Prediction of the Passion
 18,35-43 The Healing of the Blind Man
 19,1-10 Zaccheus the Tax Collector
 19,11-27 The Parable of the Ten Gold Coins
 19,28-40 The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem

Setting
 1 At that time, Jesus came to
Jericho and intended to pass
through the town.
Zacchaeus
 2 Now a man there named
Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax
collector and also a wealthy man,
3 was seeking to see who Jesus
was; but he could not see him
because of the crowd, for he was
short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead
and climbed a sycamore tree in
order to see Jesus, who was about
to pass that way.
Jesus
 5 When he reached the place,
Jesus looked up and said to him,
"Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your
house." 6 And he came down
quickly and received him with joy.
Commentary
 Background: Jesus continues his
journey to Jerusalem. Now he is
passing by Jericho, by Zacchaeus.
 V.2 introduces Zacchaeus: the
chief tax collector and a rich man
(social status)
 V.3 describes his curiosity and his
looks (physical status)
 V.4 describes his behavior,
unbecoming of a high ranking
official and a wealthy man
(climbing), just to see Jesus.
 What is so important about
seeing?
 V.5 focuses on Jesus, looking up
and talking to Zacchaeus. He
invites himself (surprise) to
Zacchaeus.
 V.6 indicates the joyful response
of Zacchaeus.

People (who think like the
Pharisees?)
 7 When they all saw this, they
began to grumble, saying, "He
has gone to stay at the house of
a sinner."
Zacchaeus
 8 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."
Jesus, the Son of Man
 9 And Jesus said to him, "Today
salvation has come to this house
because this man too is a
descendant of Abraham. 10 For
the Son of Man has come to seek
and to save what was lost."
 V.7 shows the negative
reaction of the onlookers.
They did not expect Jesus to
go to the sinner’s house.
(religious status)
 V.8 indicates the conversion
of Zacchaeus.
 To give to the poor (charity)
 To restore what he has stolen
(justice)
 V.9 declares that Zacchaeus
is saved.
 V.10 declares that Jesus, the
Son of Man, is here to seek
for and save sinners.

Reflections on the gospel reading
 Jesus loves sinners.
 He is sent by the Father to seek for the lost
ones (sinners) and save them.
 We, Christians, are considered by God as
sinners.
 He calls us all to conversion. He wants to
spend time with us.
 Exercise of justice and charity is a sign of
conversion. It is the fruit of repentance.
 When we encounter Jesus in his word and
sacrament, we must be prepared to change.

Tying the 3 readings and the Psalm
 The first reading, in prayer form, tells of God’s mercy
upon all beings.
 The psalm praises God for his mercy upon his creatures.
 The second reading tells us about the coming of Jesus
to satisfy us and share his glory. (It is a result of God’s
mercy.)
 The gospel reading tells us how Zacchaeus is found by
Jesus. Jesus goes to him because of his mercy.

How to develop your sharing/homily
Have you experienced being forgiven by
your loved ones no matter how much
you have offended them?
Have you experienced their mercy?
Have you ever experienced God’s
mercy?
God is merciful to sinners.

 The first reading tells us of God’s mercy
upon all his creatures.
 In his mercy, God sustains us.
 He can overlook our sins, big and small.
 God does not hold grudges against us.
 Therefore, we must go back to him ASAP.
 It is foolish to keep enjoying our sins.
 Remember: God is also just.

The second reading tells us of the total
expression of God’s mercy.
At the end of time, in his second
coming, everything will be brought to
fulfillment.
We, who listen to his voice, will be
glorified with him.
In the meantime, let us live according
to our dignity and calling as Christians.

 The gospel reading shows that God is
merciful to sinners (in the eyes of men and
God).
 When we sense that God is “passing by,” we
must rush to meet him, like Zacchaeus.
 He has time for us. He waits for our
conversion (to exercise charity and justice).
 He is here to show God’s mercy, no matter
how much we have sinned.
 The purpose of true religion is to lead people
to experience God’s mercy and love.

Our churches (both the building and the community)
must be avenues for happy encounters
with God (and his people).
They must be sources of renewal.
They must facilitate our conversion.
They must help us practice charity and
justice.

 Alas, some of our churches have become
occasions for sin.
 They have become places of gossip, instead
of worship.
 Some members have become cordon
sanitaire of the priest.
 Others declare some church facilities as their
turf. No other group can use them.
 Still others engage in power struggle (control
in the parish pastoral council).
 There is so much emphasis on liturgy while
they neglect issues on justice and peace,
which are the fruits of conversion.
 May God have mercy on our Churches.

 The eucharist is the sacrament of God’s
mercy.
 In the eucharist, through the consecrated
bread and wine, Jesus comes to us to show
us his mercy.
 In the eucharist, Jesus invites us to be with
him. He asks us to welcome him into our
hearts and minds.
 In the eucharist, Jesus brings us salvation.

Our Context of Sin and Grace
 Irreligious
 Self-righteous (non-
acceptance of sin)
 Listens not to his
pastor, but to the
pastors of other
religions
 Destructive presence
 Destructive criticism
 Unwelcoming attitude
 Always present in the
church, but no
conversion
 Faith experience
 Keen on God’s
presence
 Conversion
 Ecclesial communion
 Community building
 Facilitative
 Involved in justice and
peace movements

Suggested Songs
Lord, have mercy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpRghV_Ngnc
Kahit Isang Kusing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34A-_KcmuqQ
Sino ba ang Diyos?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8glIv39uKA
Zaccheus by Mirriam Therese

31st Sunday C

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