house blessing 2

Our gospel for today’s blessing of this house tells us two things about what a home should be:

First, why did Luke mention Zacchaeus climbing a sycamore tree?  Why not another tree – perhaps an olive tree, an apple tree, a guava tree, whatever.  But why a sycamore tree?  It is said that no matter how short you cut a sycamore tree it will always grow back.  No matter how short, it will always find its way to grow back.  I think that’s the first quality of a blessed home – it should be a place of second chances, third chances, fourth chances, fifth chances.  A home is where you know people will never give up on you.  A home is a place where you will always be given another chance. That is the first quality of a home.  It is like a sycamore tree – no matter how short it is cut, it can and it will always regrow.



The second quality of a blessed home which we can relate with the gospel is this – in the home everyone is significant.  Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus.  But instead of just seeing Jesus, Zacchaeus was instead seen by Jesus.  Jesus did not ignore Zacchaeus no matter how insignificant he was to the eyes of many.  Jesus did not overlook Zacchaeus even if he was short in stature and even shorter in moral standing.  Jesus saw Zacchaeus.  He was not just a curtain or a painting on the wall.  He was important. Zacchaeus was made to feel important. So also in a blessed home.  Everyone is significant, everyone is important, nobody is ignored, everyone is loved and accepted.  In a blessed home every member can expect loving acceptance no matter what.

As we bless this home we pray that we will grow in our concern for one another following the example of Zacchaeus when his house was one day visited by no other than Jesus himself.  Amen.

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