Zacchaeus is my Saint and I am grateful for your writing about him. I think it’s notable that it was Jesus that knocked down the walls of Jericho and even today, He walks through our walls, sometimes with my minor participation, sometimes without my participation, and for this I am glad.

Excerpt from the Russian book “Day by Day” for June 14 (27)

“When the disciples were together, with the doors locked… Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’” (John 20:19)

Meditation: Let us also not despair of the coming of Christ in our hardened heart. Access to it seems to be closed; we ourselves stubbornly lock the doors of our heart to everything good, and in insane pride push away from ourselves the only thing needful, and try to drown out the voice of our conscience, which does not give us rest. But even in this stubborn alienation, in this seemingly impenetrable fortress in which we lock ourselves, the Lord can appear unexpectedly for us amid our selfish, evil feelings, amid our restless thoughts, and say to us: “Peace be with you!”. The Lord desires our salvation, and covering all of our countless iniquities, He knocks at the door of our heart. Finding the door locked, He nevertheless enters it and illuminates the darkness of our soul with His light.

Lord Jesus, penetrate my heart as well! You, Who raised the dead to life, You, the risen Christ Himself, resurrect in me as well the extinguished seed of goodness, and enter my heart even through the locked door, illuminate my blindness with the light of Your presence, and let me hear Your sacred words: “Peace be with you!”.

Source: Sermons