I intended to simply pass through the piazza in Rome after a nice cup of gelato when I noticed a small little church tucked away on the corner. I knew I must have passed this church countless times, but that day, it caught my eye. It was nothing special on the outside, and I was rather tired, but I decided to peek inside.

When I opened the door, there He was.

I reverenced the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar and knelt in one of the few pews in the tiny church. I’d wandered in and out of plenty of churches that day, but I took refuge in this quiet, intimate moment with our Lord that He seemed to carve out just for me.

Today’s Gospel reminds me of this moment and the Lord’s steadfast, personal love for each one of us.

When I read Luke 19, I wonder how tired Zacchaeus must have been. He’d spent his whole life gathering riches and honor that didn’t satisfy him. He was searching for fulfillment with no avail, wandering through life in search of something.

Yet when he hears of a man named Jesus passing through the town, he runs ahead of the crowd. He climbs in a tree.

And there He was.

To Jesus, Zacchaeus wasn’t just a bystander or a member of a crowd. He was the destination. His home was where Jesus wanted to be.

Jesus meets Zacchaeus with the same invitation He extends to you and me. No matter how tired we are or how long we’ve spent searching for something to hang on to, something that will fulfill our longing, something to finally ease our pain, He is right there.

He’s not just passing through; He is here to receive you with joy.

Open the door. Climb the tree.

[bctt tweet="He’s not just passing through; He is here to receive you with joy. // Kelsey Dassance" username="blessedisshe__"]

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