Posted on 10/22/2016 8:51:37 PM PDT by Salvation
GOD, BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER!
(Biblical reflection on the 30th Ordinary Sunday [Year C] 23 October 2016)
Gospel Reading: Luke 18:9-14
First Reading: Sirach 35:12-14,16-18; Psalms: Psalm 34:2-3,17-19,23; Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
Scripture Text:
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank Thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get. But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breath, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner! I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:9-14 RSV)
Jesus meant this parable, says Luke, for those who trusted in themselves, those who thought they were just, and despised others. An how many of us can say He didnt mean me?
The Pharisee goes to the temple at the hour of prayer. Perhaps he even went twice a day to pray. Nine oclock in the morning and 3 oclock in the afternoon were the traditional hours of prayer. He was not an outright liar: he did give ten per cent of his income to the temple, he did fast twice a week, and it was a very strict fast on Mondays and Thursdays, no food and even no water.
With all his fasting and prayer, why doesnt the Pharisee deserve the Lords praise? Because he despises his neighbor. He is so important in his own eyes that he rejects the thought that anyone not of his clique might also be pleasing to God. In the parables prayer of Pharisee, Jesus has captured the mans spirit: God needs me because of my excellent observance of the law, but who needs these sinners, these thieves, cheaters, adulterers, this scum of society? He has broken the greatest law of all. He has entirely misread his Bible, ignoring Gods real message of love.
Far back, behind the proud Pharisee, stands a sinner, an outcast, a lawbreaker. But this man knows who needs whom. He is not proud of his accomplishments. His head is bowed in shame. But he knows where to turn for justice and mercy and forgiveness. God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
This man is acceptable to God, says Jesus, because he knows the truth about himself and he faces it with a sincere heart. He also knows God well the God of love and mercy who forgives honest sinners, sinners who know themselves. He knows, I need God, I need Him totally to cleanse my life, and I trust in Him.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living and loving God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Lord, I need You. I see my sin and want to be done with it forever. Cleanse me, Lord, that I might do Your will. I love You. Amen.
Daily Marriage Tip for October 23, 2016:
In the Gospel today, we hear about the prayers of the proud Pharisee and the humble tax collector. In what ways can your prayer be more authentic and humble?
What Impresses God?
Pastors Column
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 23, 2016
When going in for a job interview, we naturally hope to impress the person doing the hiring! We try to learn what it is the company is looking for and how to approach them in a way that will be (hopefully!) to their liking. Yet when we approach God in prayer, do we stop to consider what pleases God when we speak to him? Of course, the Lord is always glad to hear from us, but certain ways of praying are more attractive to him than others!
Fortunately, the scriptures teach us what is pleasing to God when we pray. Lets look at this Sundays gospel (Luke 18:9-14) for clues.
A Pharisee and a tax collector go up to pray. The Pharisee appears to be a righteous man; the tax collector, a notorious sinner. The Pharisee seems to be doing everything right, the other guy, everything wrong. Yet the Pharisees prayer was rejected, while the tax collectors was accepted. Why?
In a word, the answer is humility. Nothing seems to displease God so much as an excess of pride that we express to him by what we say, how we show off or take credit for things he has done in our lives! This is because God showed himself in the bible to be the very essence of humility, being born in a stable, being raised by poor parents, and not making a show of his powers except when necessary.
The Pharisee has not come to ask for anything at all. Instead, he spends his prayer time telling God how good he is and how much he is doing for God! Actually, no one likes a proud bragger and who is impressed with someone who cant stop talking about himself? God cannot give this man anything, because he is so full of himself. He doesnt ask for forgiveness; he doesnt feel he needs any! He even goes so far as to point out to God the sins of the tax collector, praying, as the scripture says, off at a distance.
No one doubts that this tax-collector guy was a terrible sinner. He beats his breast and stays in the shadows, not even daring to look up. But perhaps because he had blown it so badly in life, he offers to God a prayer that is deeply pleasing to God:
Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Jesus is always pleased when we approach him in humility. He deeply wants us to talk to him about our lives. He does desire to be thanked for the blessings (and even the crosses) we have received. The Pharisee did all these things, but then he blows it by taking credit for them himself. He does not listen because he never gives God a chance to speak; God cannot act in his life because the Pharisee is not aware of his neediness. He is, in fact, very self-centered and does not even know it! Yet it is so easy to please God in prayer: we thank him, listen to him (through the Scriptures), ask him for what we need; and we now know a prayer that God simply cannot resist: Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
Father Gary
Readings:
Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
Psalm 34:2-3,17-19, 23
2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18
Luke 18:9-14
Jesus draws a blunt picture in today's Gospel.
The Pharisee's prayer is almost a parody of the thanksgiving psalms (see for example Psalms 30,118). Instead of praising God for His mighty works, the Pharisee congratulates himself for his own deeds, which he presents to God in some detail.
The tax collector stands at a distance, too ashamed even to raise his eyes to God (see Ezra 9:6). He prays with a humble and contrite heart (see Psalm 51:19). He knows that before God no one is righteous, no one has cause to boast (see Romans 3:10; 4:2).
We see in the Liturgy today one of Scripture's abiding themes—that God "knows no favorites," as today's First Reading tells us (see 2 Chronicles 19:7; Acts 10:34-35; Romans 2:11).
God cannot be bribed (see Deuteronomy 10:17). We cannot curry favor with Him or impress Him—even with our good deeds or our faithful observance of religious duties such as tithing and fasting.
If we try to exalt ourselves before the Lord, as the Pharisee does, we will be brought low (see Luke 1:52).
This should be a warning to us—not to take pride in our piety, not to slip into the self-righteousness of thinking that we're better than others, that we're "not like the rest of sinful humanity."
If we clothe ourselves with humility (see 1 Peter 5:5-6)—recognize that all of us are sinners in need of His mercy—we will be exalted (see Proverbs 29:33).
The prayer of the lowly, the humble, pierces the clouds. Paul testifies to this in today's Epistle, as He thanks the Lord for giving him strength during his imprisonment.
Paul tells us what the Psalmist sings today—that the Lord redeems the lives of His humble servants.
We too must serve Him willingly. And He will hear us in our distress, deliver us from evil, and bring us safely to His heavenly kingdom.
Father James Swanson, LC
Luke 18:9-14
Jesus then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity–greedy, dishonest, adulterous–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you with a faith that never seeks to test you. I trust in you, hoping to learn to accept and follow your will, even when it does not make sense to the way that I see things. I love you Lord. May my love for you and those around me be similar to the love you have shown to me.
Petition: Lord, help me to have the humility of the tax collector.
1. The Pharisee Is Mistake-Prone: This Pharisee makes a lot of mistakes in the few moments he spends before God. First of all, he is laboring under the misapprehension that he can earn heaven. Another mistake is that he thinks that he can take credit for the good he does. Even though he begins by seeming to give God the credit, by the end of his prayer, he is acting as if he thinks he is the one who really deserves the praise. Does my prayer ever get derailed like this?
2. Hail, Full of Grace: Did Mary Have a Twin Brother? Another mistake: he underestimates the evil that exists in his own life. He seems to be unaware of any sin he has committed at least, he does not mention any sin to God in his little monologue. We know that Jesus says that even a just man sins seven times a day, so he must have something to put before the Lord and ask forgiveness. Maybe he has a conscience like a sieve most of his sins get through it without the conscience picking them up. Unfortunately for him, he doesnt seem to be aware of anything. He only has a semi-conscience. Just because he doesnt mention it doesnt mean that God doesnt know what it is. If he asked for forgiveness, God would give it, but since he acts as if he were sinless, his sin remains.
3. Sorry Lord, I Blew It Yet Again: The attitude of the tax collector is completely different. Instead of focusing on his own goodness, he focuses on his own sinfulness. He asks God to forgive it, to overlook it; and this is the correct attitude to have before God. If God forgives our sins, then we have nothing to worry about. We may or may not have a history of good works we can point to in order to claim justification before God, but if we do not ask God for forgiveness for our failings, our good works are useless. Which is my attitude? Do I have a conscience like a sieve, that doesnt pick up my failings? Do I focus more on my good works or more on my failings? It is not necessarily a mark of pessimism to focus on where you have failed God (although you should not do that exclusively), but it is certainly foolish to ignore it.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, help me to be aware of and truly sorry for my sins. If there is anything I am not aware of, help me to see what it is. If there is anything I underestimate, show its true evil to me. Help me to be mindful that good works are worthless without the right attitude of humbly seeking forgiveness.
Resolution: I will do an examination of conscience based on my own self-righteousness. Do I tend to excuse myself too easily of my failings? Do I think myself better than others? Do I refuse responsibility for the problems in my life, always blaming them on the other person who is not as intelligent as I am, as good as I am, as perceptive as I am, etc.?
October 23, 2016
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/102316.cfm
Its easy to get stuck in a pattern of bad habits. They start so small, but their effect can be pernicious. A little late once can turn into very late always. Just one cigarette can turn into a pack a day. We dont usually think about what were doing as a habit until its gotten to a problematic point. Good habits, by contrast, are difficult to develop. They take time, effort, persistence and getting up when you fall down.
This Sundays first reading from the Book of Sirach points us toward some powerful habits that are rooted in the justice of God. Really, our reading is a kind of elegy on the justice of Godhow impartial he is, how empathetic he is, how responsive he is to our pleadings. But his poetry on Gods justice comes in the midst of his discussion of broader practices in our relationship with God. Sirach is zealous for keeping Gods commandments, particularly in regard to the poor, and he wants us to be as well (35:1-5). He also encourages making sacrifices at the Temple (35:6-13). What is astounding about these two dimensions, justice and worship, is that we usually see them in tension. It often seems that a Catholic is either devoted to social justice or devoted to Eucharistic adoration. Rarely do both coincide in one individual. A lot of Catholic writers have commented on this problem, a kind of bifurcation of our Christian life, so I wont repeat their ideas here, but I think Sirach might help us find a way out.
Sirach starts this chapter off with a simple equation: He who keeps the law makes many offerings (Sir 35:1 RSV). That is, in his view, the keeping of Gods commandments is equivalent to making sacrifices in the Temple. Practicing justice is a kind of worship. Indeed, he who gives alms sacrifices a thank offering (Sir 35:2 RSV), meaning that whoever gives to the poor is like the person at the Temple actually giving a grain offering to the Lord. Do these principles mean that we should abandon prayer in order to give more to the poor? No, but they do show us that God views our efforts to serve the least among us as acts of worship, not just humanistic endeavors. In addition, these acts of justice are some of the good habits I mentioned earlier. Theres no better way to conquer the vice of greed than to give away your money. Theres no better way to conquer pride than to humble yourself and serve other people.
Yet all these acts of justice lead us back to worship. Sirach warns us, Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed, (Sir 35:4 RSV), meaning without a sacrificial animal to offer. He thus encourages sacrificing to God in worship, but there is a caveat. Only the sacrifice of a righteous man is acceptable (Sir 35:7 RSV). If we approach God to offer sacrifice while our behavior is deplorable, he considers it an unworthy bribe:
Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it;
and do not trust to an unrighteous sacrifice;
for the Lord is the judge, and with him is no partiality. (Sir 35:12 RSV)
Our behavior, whether just or unjust, is fundamental to our relationship with God. If we come to worship him while living in opposition to his law, then our worship is tainted and even unacceptable. God will not be extorted by our offerings to him, since he is just.
Gods justice brings these two dimensions, justice and worship, together. It is because of Gods generous and demanding justice that we help others, give our money, and serve the community. If we dont do these things, each of us in the way God has appointed, then we arent really incarnating the Gospel, and our worship comes to be vitiated of its power. Yet on the other hand, if we are only helping people and never directly worshiping God, never actually praying, then our impact dwindles. Why? Because Gods justice demands that we worship him. Its what we were created to do, after all, so we might as well get started doing it. It can be argued that spending time in prayer and worship of God subtracts from the available time to help others. Thats true, but in fact, growing in prayer with the Lord strengthens us, empowers us to be better at serving. Both are necessary and one fuels the other. Worship fuels our practice of justice.
In the end, this tension comes down to habits. We can develop the bad habits of not praying and not serving otherswinding ourselves up into a little ball of self-seeking quasi-pleasure. But if we listen to Sirach, well instead develop the right habits: worshipping God and serving others. Gods powerful mercy that hears the cries of the distressed and responds to their needs will become a reality in uson the one hand when we receive his mercy in prayer and on the other when we live it out in doing acts of justice. Now there are two habits worth developing!
Today, Jesus tells a story about two men praying in the Temple; one is seriously religious, the other a serious sinner. What can they teach us?
St. Luke, in reporting one of Jesus parables, explains its meaning before we actually read it: Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. So, we know this will be a story about human pride and how it can lead to contempt for others. This sounds like a terribly ugly affliction. We may already start to think of people we know to whom it might apply. Yet, there are some surprises in this parable, and we would do well to give it our close attention.
One of the men praying in the Temple was a Pharisee. Who were the Pharisees? The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible can help us understand them better (pg 69):
Although not Israels official teachers or leaders, the Pharisees were popular and held great sway with the masses. They were deeply concerned with the cultural and religious crisis of the day: How does one live as a faithful Jew in a land that is ruled and occupied by pagans (Romans)? The Pharisees answer: Israel must separate itself from all Gentile impurity and defilement, since only in this way will God rescue His people from the clutches of Rome. Even their name, which means separated ones, underscores their national agenda. The Pharisees gave considerable attention to ritual purity, insisting that even laymen should maintain a high level of priest-like holiness in their personal lives. Scrupulous observance of Jewish laws (circumcision, the Sabbath day, food laws, tithing, etc.) meant the Pharisees could proudly assert their identity in the midst of their Gentile neighbors. This background inevitably led to a clash between the Pharisees and Jesus. They tried to insulate Israel from the Gentiles, while Jesus was reaching out to embrace all the nations with Gods mercy. The Pharisees were religious isolationists; Jesus proclamation of Gods kingdom was open and inclusive.
How does this seriously religious man pray in the Templea man devoted to preserving the ritual purity of Gods covenant people? First, Jesus tells us that he prayed to himself. How odd! His visit to the Temple to pray was not meant to actually address God, although it began with the words, O God. He did not make any kind of appeal to God. Even when he expressed gratitude (I thank You), it was not thanksgiving for anything in or from God. Instead, the Pharisee was thankful that he was not like the rest of humanity. He was not greedy, dishonest, or adulterous. In other words, he practiced virtue, not like this tax collector. He went on to describe his impressive religious observancesfasting twice a week and paying tithes on his whole income. This is sobering, isnt it? Here is a religious man who cares deeply about the rules God had given His people, practicing them without fail, but to what has all that led? In his own eyes, he is perfect; he is not a sinner like the rest of humanity.
What about the tax collector, the serious sinner? The Pharisees despised tax collectors for several reasons: (1) Collecting revenue involved frequent contact with Gentile sinners (2) Since taxes were collected for the Romans, Jewish tax collectors were branded as traitors (3) Collectors were often guilty of extorting personal commissions above the tax amount. No wonder the tax collector stood off at a distance. He was truly an outcast among his people, but he went to the Temple anyway. Why would he be willing to subject himself to the contempt he was sure to face there? This sinner braved it because he wanted to talk to God. No matter what others might think of him, all he cared about was what God thought of him. We can tell by his body language what was in his mind and heart, before we hear his prayer: [He] would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast. Here is a man convinced of his sin and his great need of Gods mercy: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. His prayer was much shorter than the Pharisees prayer. Which one was most effective?
Jesus tells us the tax collector went home justified (his sins were forgiven), not the Pharisee. Why was the outcast the one who experienced Gods mercy and not the religious man? Jesus explains: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. The warning against self-exaltation is a constant theme in Jesus teaching (see Mt 18:4, 23:12; Lk 14:11; 1 Pet 5:6). The tax collector asked for Gods mercy and got it; the Pharisee didnt think he needed it, so he didnt bother to ask.
The paradoxical, uncomfortable truth is that we religious people are highly susceptible to self-exaltation, especially in our own day. Many of us believe ourselves to be involved in a culture war similar to the one the Pharisees struggled against. Sometimes in our campaigns to preserve morality in our laws and societal norms, we can become self-righteous. We despise sinners, forgetting that we, too, are sinners in great need of Gods mercy. This parable serves as a warning to people like us, who are conscientious enough in our religious lives to write or read commentary on lectionary readings. In our prayers, our pious practices, and our participation in Mass, are we more aware of the sins of others than our own? Do we make the sinners around us feel ostracized and judged? Are we willing to beat our breasts and cry out for Gods mercy, knowing how needy we are? Whose prayer sounds most like oursthe Pharisees or the tax collectors?
Possible response: Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I have looked down on those whose sins are more obvious than my own.
This reading from Sirach helps us understand why the prayer of the tax collector in our Gospel resulted in his justification, while the Pharisee left the Temple unchanged: The Lord is a God of justice, Who knows no favorites. Although the religious man had much about which to brag, it was the tax collectors heartfelt cry for mercy that was heard in Heaven: The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it teaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds. We can never be the judge of other peoples hearts, but only of our own, confident that God judges justly and affirms the right.
Possible response: Heavenly Father, I thank You that You always hear the prayers of the humble, of those who know You are our only hope in life.
There is great comfort for us in this psalm, if we keep ourselves in the posture of lowliness. We are reminded of the Blessed Virgin Marys response to being chosen as the mother of Gods Son (a reason to brag if ever there was one): [God] has looked with favor on His lowly servant (Lk 1:48). The psalm assures us that when we count ourselves as lowly, brokenhearted, or crushed in spirit (this was the tax collectors prayer posture in the Temple), God hears, and from all our distress He rescues us. How much better it is for us to think of ourselves as poor in spirit, as described by Jesus in the beatitudes. When we pray from this kind of poverty, we can affirm, with joy and gratitude, The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Possible response: The psalm is, itself, a response to our other readings. Read it again prayerfully to make it your own.
In this reading, we have an interesting interplay between what could, at first glance, look like the spiritual pride of the Pharisee in our Gospel, and the humility of the tax collector, all in one personSt. Paul. This letter was probably written during St. Pauls final imprisonment, right before his martyrdom, when he was poured out like a libation, or sacrifice, for his testimony to Jesus. He tells St. Timothy, I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. Is this the same kind of bragging we saw in the Pharisee? It might be, if we didnt read on. We can see St. Pauls utter dependence on the Lord, at the very end of his life, to give him the crown of righteousness that is destined for all who have longed for His appearance. St. Paul does not single himself out for special treatment; the crown he anticipates isnt a crown for his own righteousness. All who hope in Jesus will receive Gods own righteousness as reward for their faith and faithfulness. In addition, we see that when others, his Christian friends, deserted him during his trial before a Roman court, he begged that it not be held against them. In this, he shows the mercy Jesus showed to the sinners who crucified Him. There is no contempt for sinners here. St. Paul acknowledges that it was Gods work in and through him that made all the difference. It is this humilitybelieving that anything good in us comes from God, not ourselvesthat enables God, in the end, to exalt us and bring us safe to His heavenly kingdom. So, St. Paul, filled with this kind of humility, ends his epistle with these words: To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Yes, St. Paul, amen.
Possible response: St. Paul, please pray for me to remember that anything good in me comes from the Father. I have no reason to boast.
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