LENT PRAYER MATERIAL 2016
L’ARCHE INTERNATIONAL – ENCOUNTERS OF FORGIVENESS
WEEK 1
10 – 13 February
A Transforming Encounter – The Story of Zacchaeus
(Prepared by Cindy Treanor and members of L’Arche Hobart)
BIBLE READING
Luke 19: 1 - 10
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it.
2A
man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich.
3He
was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was
short in stature. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to
pass that way.
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5When
Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for
I must stay at your house today.”
6So
he hurried down and was happy to welcome him.
7All
who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.”
8Zacchaeus
stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the
poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”
9Then
Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of
Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”
REFLECTION by Ruth Patterson
The name Zacchaeus means the pure and righteous one – not the words that would immediately
spring to mind when we think of the little tax collector from Jericho. In fact, this story is all about
how he reclaimed his name and his true place in the family of God through his meeting with Jesus.
Having read his story as told by Luke, you might like to think about the following:
 Zacchaeus is regarded as a traitor and a cheat by his fellow countrymen. But his wealth
could not buy him peace or happiness.
 One day when his discomfort with himself coupled with his desire to see Jesus become
greater than his caution, he runs and, risking more ridicule, climbs a tree.
 When Jesus enters Jericho it is as if his sole purpose is to meet with Zacchaeus. This is a very
intimate encounter. Jesus calls Zacchaeus by his name and invites himself to Zacchaeus’s
house. But more than that, he invites himself into the hidden home that is Zacchaeus’s inner
being. Zacchaeus welcomes him to both. In that secret place transformation takes place.
Zacchaeus repents, that is, he sees things differently.
 In this encounter he discovers who he really is, a broken and beloved child of God. It is this
revelation that enables him to go public, standing up in front of those whom he had cheated
and who had formerly treated him with contempt and pledge restitution. In fact what
emanates from him is a tidal wave of generosity, far exceeding what anyone could have
expected.
 Jesus stands with him in his reclaimed identity as a child of God – his name now something
to rejoice in: Zacchaeus – the pure and righteous one.
 True forgiveness always transforms.
Lessons from a bad day.
It was a Monday afternoon and two of the ladies and I were heading home to their house for
afternoon tea. We arrived home and were welcomed by Greg, who they also shared their house
with.
Greg is a very welcoming man so when he wasn’t smiling to greet us we knew that something was
wrong. Even though he wasn’t his usual self he still welcomed us in and we began getting things
ready for afternoon tea together. It was my turn to get the drinks ready so I set about doing this.
Hannah, Heather and Greg sat together at the table.
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After a little while Heather noticed that Greg really was very sad. She immediately made her way
to the other side of the table and began to comfort Greg. She listened to him and then offered to
share a gift of chocolate she had received that day. In hearing her kind words Greg began to calm
himself. He then talked about how hard his day had been at work. He said it had been a bad day.
In telling his story, and in the midst of this loving atmosphere created by his friends, Greg slowly
began to return to his usual outgoing self. He then offered to assist Hannah with her afternoon tea,
which is something he delights in doing most afternoons. His mood was still a bit quieter than usual
but even so his friendship with Hannah called him out of his sadness. She beamed at him which
speaks far more than any words could. She is a woman who talks through the expressions on her
face and the sounds she makes to let us know how she is and how she feels about each of us. Greg
began to talk some more but you could still tell that he wasn’t feeling the best. The love of his
friends was making a difference but there was still some way to go for his recovery to be complete.
On noticing this Heather began to talk about the local Agricultural Show they were planning to visit
later that week. She asked Greg about the sort of show bags he liked and offered to help him to
choose which one he would like to buy. Even though she was interested in looking this up for
herself she put her interests to one side so she could help Greg to decide what he wanted. They then
spent a long time looking at these on her tablet.
Slowly, as they spent time together, Greg began to relax and put aside the feelings from his bad day.
The transforming effect of Heather’s kindness, Hannah’s smile and Greg’s concern for and desire to
assist Hannah even though he wasn’t feeling good, are a true story of how love transforms each of
us in its own way. It doesn’t mean that we are happy all the time but it does mean that love and real
friendships help us to bring out the best in each other even on those “bad days”.
I am grateful to Heather, Hannah and Greg for allowing me to share this story and for the lessons
they have taught me as we share our lives in L’Arche and through the bad day transformed by love.
Cindy Treanor
Greg, Heather and Hannah
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REFLECTION QUESTIONS
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Zacchaeus was disliked because people saw him as a sinner. He must have felt bad. Jesus
noticed this and wanted to spend time with him, to be his friend. Greg was unhappy for
other reasons, but his friends also noticed it and wanted to spend time with him, to show
how he was their friend, to make him feel better. What can you do to notice someone and
make them feel better, happier, maybe less lonely?
Heather’s kindness and Hannah’s smile gradually transformed the way Greg felt. When you
feel lonely can you accept the offer of friendship from someone else, as Zacchaeus welcomed
Jesus, and as Greg accepted the kind attentions of Heather and Hannah? Or do you stay
aloof?
In the drawing you see many examples of people being friends to one another. How do you
show friendship to other people?
ACTIVITY
Suggested by Peter Ryan
Zacchaeus in the sycamore-fig tree reminds us of our call to really see, to notice, to be attentive…
not to be blind, as Jesus said.
The tree in the story recalls how earthly and rural, how close to nature, are the settings of so many
of the gospel stories. Here in Australia we start Lent in autumn – a time of harvest & abundance, a
time of collecting seeds with all their potential for new life in the spring ahead. Our church and
world leaders are asking us to notice the cry of our earth and to change our lives so that our earth
can be healed and flourish, and for the sake of our sisters and brothers. Pope Francis writes,
“Let us sing as we go.
May our struggles and our concerns for this planet never take away the joy of our hope…
God has united God’s self to our earth,
and God’s love constantly impels us to find new ways forward”
(Laudato Si” #244-5).
+ Spring and autumn are the busiest time for farmers and
gardeners. How are you participating in that in your
Community and around your house?
+ Are there some new bulbs or seeds that you can help plant?
And then watch and notice all the wonderful changes that
take place over the days, weeks, and months ahead?
+ Jesus wanted so much to feast with Zacchaeus, and also to
help Zacchaeus see who was hungry and missing out. Lent
invites us to be generous, reflecting God’s abundance – who,
or what organisations, can you support during our Lenten
journey?
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Artwork by Rennie Jaurigue & Sylvia Cross, L’Arche Hobart
PRAYERS – a suggested format:
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Say the Our Father together
Read Luke 19: 1 - 10
Have a time of silence
Take time to reflect on any of the material offered above
Prayer: (This is the same prayer every week except for the second line. Maybe you could learn to
sign it. One person could say and sign each line, and then everyone else repeat with the same
signing).
Jesus, help us to see others as you see them – with love and compassion.
Help us like Zacchaeus to right any wrong we have done.
Help us to be able to welcome those who are different from us, those we find it
difficult to like.
And thank you that you love us, just as we are, today and every day.
Amen.
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The L’Arche Prayer
Appropriate songs if wished.
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