31C22.   Wisdom 11:22-12-2.    “But you have mercy on all” “and you overlook people’s sins that they may repent.”  “But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord and lover of souls.” “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!” God is our loving Father!  We will not be lost as long as we choose to be his devoted, obedient children.

Luke 19:1-10.   Zacchaeus “was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man.”  It is obvious from his readiness to follow Jesus that Zacchaeus had come to realize that he needed something that his wealth had failed to give him.  When Jesus invited himself to stay at Zacchaeus’ house, Zacchaeus open the door that made Jesus his new life.  Jesus was offering Zacchaeus salvation and Zacchaeus readily accepted it.  “For the son of man has come to seek and to save what was lost.”  It has often been said that we are sinners who are becoming saints.  We daily ought to accept the cross of dying to living our own life and instead to having Christ as our life.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-2:2.  “Brothers and sisters: 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.”  To accept salvation from Christ is to open ourselves to the salvific action of Christ in our daily lives rather than trying to go it on our own.