We reflected on the story of Zacchaeus not too long ago, but it comes up again in today's Liturgy. (Lk 19: 1-10) as an example of how conversion is a consequence of our longing and God's merciful grace. Our efforts alone won't bring about the change of life and closeness to God we desire, for "all is grace". It's God's gift that converts us; we simply prepare our hearts for it by longing from the depths or our soul for that tranquil union which entices us to keep yearning. St. Augustine spent at least 20 years searching for Truth with his mother's prayers watering the soil of his parched heart. When the moment Truth overpowered him and Beauty overtook him, he yielded in tears and turned his long search into a blending of his will, heart and soul with God's and experienced a joy and beauty that until this moment had eluded him. Zacchaues had a similar desire which took him up a tree above a jeering crowd, so he could simply see Jesus. Then grace descended upon him with the self-invite of Jesus to dine with him. The floodgates of repentance and conversion opened, moving him to come up immediately with a plan of action for his new-found joy. A moment of Beauty as we see a man born again. Let us pray for our own on-going conversion as well as for those who are searching for it that we too may "walk in beauty."
Bro. Rene
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