Martin Jumbam
The Universal Church celebrates Sunday, October 23, 2016 as the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time – Year C. In the entrance antiphon we pray, “Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice; turn to the Lord and his strength; constantly seek his face. Amen."
In the first reading, Ben Sira leads us to see wisdom almost as a person drawing us towards God, who only gives wisdom to those who have the humility to receive it. The Lord always listens to the humble man’s prayers. In the second reading, Saint Paul ends his letter to Timothy by forgiving his friends who have deserted him at a time he feels death approaching. He compares his coming death to the running of a race, except that the crown of victory is in heaven. The Gospel takes up the theme of humility in prayer with the famous parable of the Pharisee and the publican. In it, we see that God is truly a just judge who listens to the humble persistent prayer of the publican, a man considered a traitor because he collects income for a despised force of occupation, but rejects the haughty prayer of the Pharisee, who believes himself to be above everyone else. In the course of this Eucharist, let us pray for the grace of humility so that our prayers too can reach our Father in heaven who is always merciful to us, sinners.
First Reading: Ecclesiasticus 35:12-14. 16-19
The Lord is the judge, and with him is no partiality. He will not show partiality in the case of a poor man; and he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. He will not ignore the supplication of the fatherless, nor the widow when she pours out her story. He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted, and his prayer will reach to the clouds. The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him, and the just judge executes judgement. And the Lord will not delay, neither will he be patient with him.
V/ The word of the Lord.
R/ Thanks be to God.
Comment:
The Book of Ben Sirach is commonly known in Latin as Ecclesiasticus. It was originally written in Hebrew by an experienced Jewish scholar and teacher, who established a rabbinic school in Jerusalem after retiring from his public career as a diplomat. The proper Hebrew name of the book is “Wisdom of Jesus ben Sirach”, abbreviated in Greek to “Sirach”. Sirach, son of Eleazar, was a well-educated man from an important family in Jerusalem some forty years before the Greek cultural invasion of Palestine between the years 220 and 116 BC. Like the Book of Wisdom, which comes immediately before it, the book of Ecclesiasticus does not appear in the Hebrew Bible.
Sirach’s disciples were faced with the challenges and dangers of the materialistic Greek culture introduced when Alexander the Great conquered Palestine and introduced many political and cultural changes. Commerce and military establishments were very instrumental in spreading Greek language and culture throughout the Mediterranean region. This had the effect of opening up channels of dialogue between the new culture and the teachings of the traditions of Israel.
Ben Sira and the other teachers of Israel were alarmed at the rate at which the Jewish tradition was being submerged by the more aggressive Greek culture. Many Jews were turning their backs on the Law of God and the traditional teaching of Israel to follow foreign teachers. Ben Sira therefore tried to impart respect for the traditional Jewish moral values and a deep knowledge and love of the scriptures as well as practical wisdom. True wisdom, he teaches, resides in an Israel built around the Torah. Wisdom to him is the “Law of Moses” that humans perceive and experience personally as “The Fear of God.”
In the passage of our meditation, Ben Sira tells us that God listens to the prayers of the humble man and woman, the orphan and the widow. God does not look at one’s position in society; he looks at the heart. In reminding us that it is to the humble that God listens, Ben Sira echoes the teaching of the prophets and prepares us for the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in this day’s Gospel. God listens more to the payers of the tax collector than to the Pharisee, who believes himself to be self-righteous. Let us pray in the course of this Eucharist for the grace of humility as it is to the humble that God gives wisdom. Amen.
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 4: 6-8 & 16-18
Beloved: I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
V/ The word of the Lord.
R/ Thanks be to God.
Comment
Paul wrote this letter from prison, fully conscious that his end was near. Neither enmity nor death frightened him; he was not disheartened; on the contrary, he was grateful for what he was. He knew that if he died with Christ, he would rise with him to eternal life. He was sure of the prize, the crown that would be his reward. Paul’s only distress is that his friends have left him to go alone before the court. He forgives them for it; it is not unlikely that they had their own missions to look after. He mentions Titus, who was on a mission on Paul’s behalf. He compares his coming death to the running of a race, save that the laurel crown of victory is a heavenly one.
The most precious image of martyrdom here is in the word libation. He expects to be put to death soon and regards the shedding of his blood as a libation, that is, a sacrificial rite in which a liquid is poured out. Paul sees his death as a sacrifice to God for his Church and for the salvation of souls.
At the close of his life, Paul can testify to the accomplishment of what Christ himself foretold that he would suffer for his name (Acts 9:16). He is therefore happy that he has kept the faith by preserving the deposit of faith. As we listen to this reading, let us pray for the courage to preach the Gospel, like Paul, wherever we may be.
The Gospel: Luke 18: 9-14.
At that time, Jesus told this parable to some who trusted 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 within himself, ‘God, I thank you 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 eve lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
V/ The Gospel of the Lord.
R/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Comment
The first reading, which shows us how God accepts the prayer of the humble man and woman, already prepared us for our Lord’s attitude in the Gospel parable of the Pharisee and the publican. In this parable Christ addresses people who pride themselves on their virtue while despising everyone else. They honor themselves by humiliating others.
The parable tells of two people who go up to the temple to pray. One is a Pharisee, who leads a deep religious life, paying tithes and fasting and living an upright life. The other is considered a real crook, a tax collector, who works for the despised Roman occupier, often collecting taxes in excess of what the law requires so he can get a good cut. This brings to mind Zaccheus who, at his conversion, vows to the Lord to reimburse whatever amount he might have swindled from the tax payer. “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” (Lk 19: 8).
The parable tells us that both the good and the bad stand in dire need of prayer. Christ tells us to “always pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18: 1). In this parable we see the difference between true piety and false piety. As we hear in the first reading, it is the prayer of the humble that pierces the clouds and reaches God’s ears. It is the prayer of the humble tax collector that God listens to, not the pompous self-flattery of the Pharisee.
The Pharisee is not really talking to God, he is talking to himself. He is not praying but is busy praising himself. He does not really thank God but is busy thanking himself. There is no humility in his prayer as he gives thanks to his own uprightness, comparing his own behaviour to everyone else and finding them falling far short of himself. He is not there to pray to God but rather to flatter his own ego. In his self-righteousness, he goes home empty-handed because he shows no sign of conversion, no sign of repentance for his sins. He is more worried about the sins of others, not his.
The tax collector, on the other hand, accepts himself for what he is, a sinner. He does not bring others into his prayer, rather he prays for himself, recognizing himself as a sinner in need of God’s mercy. That is why he stands afar because he does not deem himself worthy to approach God. He does not even dare raise his eye to heaven but rather bow his head and beat his chest in sorrow saying ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ He wins God’s mercy through his humility. He teaches us that our prayer must be full of humility. We must avoid acting, like the Pharisee. As Saint James tells us, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble’ (Jas 4:6).
The main lesson I take from this reading is that my prayer must be of humility in which I recognize my sinfulness and then call for God’s mercy. I must not condemn or despise anyone but rather include others in my prayer. Christian charity demands that I pray for others because we are all sinners in need of forgiveness. Let us recognize our unworthiness and sinfulness and ask for God’s mercy. “God, be merciful to us, poor sinners.” Amen.
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