Podcast: 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Hi and welcome to the Modern Psalmist Podcast. I’m Rebecca De La Torre.

We’re approaching the end of the church calendar year C as we celebrate the 31st Sunday of Ordinary time this weekend. In just a few weeks is the feast of Christ the King year C, and then the cycle returns to Year A again with the 1st Sunday of Advent on November 27th.

Today’s gospel tells the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, as he climbs a tree to get a look at Jesus as he passes. Taken from Luke chapter 19, when Jesus sees Zacchaeus in the tree he calls to him in verse 5:

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

And although many in the crowd grumbled at a tax collector being given this distinction, Zacchaeus himself, filled with such joy at being honored by Jesus, proclaimed (beginning in verse 8):

‘“Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor,
and if I have extorted anything from anyone
I shall repay it four times over.”
And Jesus said to him,
“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.”’

Remember that in the gospel last week from Luke chapter 18, Jesus told the parable of the publican and the pharisee, where the publican pleaded to God for mercy. And Jesus said the he, therefore, was justified before God. I love how the very next Sunday the gospel comes from the subsequent chapter of Luke (chapter 19), and here we have a repentant tax collector, Zacchaeus.

Jesus is showing us all that his parables are real and true examples of God’s love, mercy and patience. And of course Zacchaeus was exuberant and thankful.

And that brings us to the psalm and communion antiphon for today. Taken from chapter 145, the psalm response is:

“I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.”

The words in the verses are the very sentiments echoed in our hearts when we have been forgiven by God’s unending grace and mercy.

The communion antiphon is from Psalm chapter 16, and is one of my favorite psalms of praise. The antiphon itself is from verse 11:

“You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence, O Lord.”

I wrote a song several years ago based on Psalm 16 titled “I Will Praise You, Lord” – the chorus is just like our responsorial psalm for today but the verses match the communion antiphon from Psalm 16. I wrote it on a retreat for Christian songwriters. At the end of one session I was walking through a green, grassy field back toward my hotel room when all of the sudden a motif came to me. I ran the rest of the way back to my room to quickly pick the line out on my keyboard. Then the rest of the song just poured out of me.

I hope you enjoy “I Will Praise You, Lord”

That was my original song based on Psalm 16, titled “I Will Praise You, Lord” for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. Links to the recordings and sheet music can be found in the show notes of this podcast and also on TheModernPsalmist.com.

If you are enjoying this podcast, please take a moment to share it with a fried. Also, if you have or if someone you know has songs, especially bilingual songs, that I can feature on this podcast, please reach out to me using the contact link on TheModernPsalmist.com.

God bless you.