On Tuesday afternoon, we celebrated our second monthly Mass at a new Independent/Assisted Living Community in Waldorf (Harmony House). We had a mix of Catholics and non-Catholics attending. I began my homily with a simple statement: "IF YOU WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN, RAISE YOUR HAND!" There was not a single hesitation. Immediately, Catholics and non-Catholics all raised their hands! We all want to go to Heaven. We all want to be saved. But the key questions remain: who will be saved? HOW CAN WE BE SAVED? JESUS says to Zacchaeus the chief tax collector in Jericho and all of us repentant sinners: “TODAY SALVATION HAS COME TO THIS HOUSE... THE SON OF MAN HAS COME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE WHAT WAS LOST." (Luke 19:1-10, this Sunday's Gospel). The instant conversion of the repentant Zacchaeus, a great sinner, gives all of us great HOPE. In last week's Gospel (Luke 18: 9-14), it was also a tax collector who was praying in the temple: "LORD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER" and went home "justified".  JESUS IS OUR SAVIOR. HE CAME ON EARTH to seek the lost souls, like Zacchaeus and all of us, and to bring us back to God the Father: HE CAME TO SAVE US.

Last week, we talked to you about Gertrude who repented, converted, and went to Confession as she was dying. She found peace as soon as she repented and completed her confession. To go to Heaven, we have to open our hearts to GOD's GRACE and let GOD lead us to Repentance and Reconciliation: GO TO CONFESSION! GO NOW! DO NOT WAIT! TOMORROW MIGHT BE TOO LATE!

At daily Masses this week, we have been hearing from Luke's Chapter 13 which begins with A CALL TO REPENTANCE: "If you do not repent, you shall perish..." (Luke 13:3-5). Then someone asked Jesus: "LORD, WILL ONLY A FEW PEOPLE BE SAVED?" And Jesus simply replied: "Strive to enter through THE NARROW GATE, for many will attempt to enter but will not be STRONG enough." Jesus could not be clearer: yes some will be saved, but not all (Luke 13:28 -29): Some will share in the heavenly banquet (THOSE SAVED) but others will be cast out "where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth" (THOSE REJECTED). God is not the one punishing us, we are the ones who punish ourselves by rejecting His Love and Mercy.

Like Zacchaeus, we should not be afraid to SEEK JESUS. Zacchaeus, a very rich man, could not see Jesus because of the crowd as he was short. But he did not hesitate to humble himself by climbing a sycamore tree to see Jesus. We too can meet Jesus through our own humility, recognizing our littleness in the presence of God. Like Zacchaeus, we should not be afraid to let Jesus enter into our homes (our own hearts), confess our sins and amend our lives: "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." (Luke 19: 8). Like Zacchaeus, we too can be filled with JOY hearing Jesus tell us: "TODAY SALVATION HAS COME TO THIS HOUSE" (Luke 19:9-10). This is the same JOY that Gertrude close to death felt when hearing the words of absolution at the end of her confession:

"God, the Father of mercies, through the death and the resurrection of His Son has reconciled the world to Himself and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the for- giveness of sins; THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH MAY GOD GIVE YOU PARDON AND PEACE, and I ABSOLVE YOU OF YOUR SINS IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT"

If you have not heard the above words recently, the time has come to go back to confession! Gertrude, like many Catholics did not want to let a priest hear her confession. But when she accepted a priest to enter into her home (though reluctantly), it was similar to Zacchaeus letting Jesus enter into his house: a time of repentance, a time of conversion, a time of JOY!

Let us pray to GOD that we can let Jesus enter into our hearts, and ask Him the grace to go to Confession for the forgive of our sins.

One in Christ,


Father Alain