Sought and Saved (All Saints' Day)

Jesus seeks and saves the lost, demonstrated by His pursuit of Zacchaeus, who was a notorious sinner and outcast. The greatest privilege of a Christian's funeral is not in personal accomplishments, but in being a final witness to the work of Jesus, who knows each of us by name and includes us in His book of life. By accepting a sinner like Zacchaeus, Jesus took on the status of a sinner, foreshadowing His work on the cross where He took on our sins. As a community of saints, we are called to be a beacon of hope, remembering those who have died with both sadness over the enemy, death, and hope in the resurrection and the life of the world to come.