Zacchaeus revisited

Last year I posted a reflection regarding Zacchaeus. On Tuesday of this week, the Gospel reading from Mass was again the story of Zacchaeus.

This prompted me to think again about several things.  

The Gospel reading includes:

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. 

Zacchaeus was a wealthy man.

About 25 years ago, when my daughter was taking CCD in our parish, she told me one day (and I assumed it was because she had been taught this) that rich people can't be saved.

About 15 years ago, I was teaching CCD to 6th graders in my parish, and they said exactly the same thing to me:  Rich people can't be saved.

I told my daughter at the time that she better hope that what she thought wasn't the case because she was 'rich.'

To the 6th graders I took a different approach.  We were using a pamphlet provided by the CCD office dicussing saints.  On the cover of the pamphlet were images of several Saints, including Francis of Assisi, Katherine Drexel among others.

I pointed out that both Francis, and Katherine were extremely wealthy young people, yet the Church had declared them Saints.  I pointed out how Francis had renounced his inheritance, while Katherine had used hers in service of the Church's mission to educate black and indian children.

Zacchaeus was a wealthy man.  But it was to him that Jesus came and spoke:

Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.

He followed up that statement and ended the Gospel passage by saying:

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.

The rich are called to salvation too.