Dearest Goddaughter (LTR-22) - Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Dearest Goddaughter, 

What are we willing to risk to come and follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? In today's Gospel, Zacchaeus risks being looked upon as a fool by his peers when he climbed the sycamore tree in order to see Jesus. Yet, he did not care what others thought of him as long as he was able to see Jesus, get his attention, and, more importantly, do whatever it takes for Jesus to see him. Jesus does see him and, not only that, Jesus comes to his house and shares a meal with him. You see, when we dare to risk everything for Jesus Christ, he comes into our hearts and dwell inside us, gives us his peace, and pours his love into us.

How many of us would dare to risk everything - even our lives - to be faithful to God and his commandments? How many of us would prefer "a glorious death to a life of defilement. . ." to declare]above all that we would be "loyal to the holy laws given by God"? Eleazar did just that, as we read in today's first reading, when he made "up his mind in a noble manner" to have the "courage to reject the food which. . . is unlawful to taste even for love of life." Meaning, Eleazar did not compromise his conviction at all costs.

In his homily, Fr. Doug said that the martyrs remind us that we always have a choice - to remain true and faithful to God or not. Even when we are "forced" into doing something, we always have the freewill from God to make that choice to remain true and faithful to God. It can be challenging. It can cost us everything. But we have a choice to say "yes" to God at every moment in our lives.

Therefore, dearest goddaughter, when faced with challenges or difficulties in life, we first kneel and pray that God's will be done. We pray for feel Jesus' loving presence and help guide us. We pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the courage and strength to remain true and faithful to God always. We have the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and all the saints of God as models of faithfulness to Jesus Christ our Lord, and so we ask for their intercession as well.

Love,

Bỏ Phúc

P.S. These are the readings for the day: 2 Mc 6:18-31 and Lk 19:1-10 (below).

. . .

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."