Cycle C - Year II:  

23 October 2022: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical Color: Green)

Readings:

First Reading:        Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18

Second Reading:   2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

Gospel:  Please Read  Luke 18:9-14 

"God, be merciful to me a sinner!"

PRAYER is a dialogue with God Almighty. A dialogue is twofold: we speak and then we listen... to God ato speak to us.

In today's Gospel proclamation, St. Luke gives some helpful tips on how to pray coming from the very mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Let us reflect on the Gospel message.

Jesus paints a vivid story of two men in prayer by way of a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector in prayer.  The parable presents contrasting and very different attitudes about prayer.  The purpose of the story is to teach the listeners about the nature of prayer and our relationship with God.

We know that Jesus tells parables to help us catch on what God is truly like. He uses familiar and everyday experiences, but then turns everything upside down with a surprising twist. We go away surprised, shocked, perhaps happy that God's style is so different to our way of thinking and acting.

The parable in today's Gospel: A Pharisee went to the temple area to pray. In the biblical times Pharisees take pride in observing strictly their religious practices, often exalting themselves publicly at the expense of others they considered less holy. That is why, the Pharisee's prayer in the story is a litany of prideful boasts of the good things he has done as he compared himself with those he despised.

A tax collector also went to the temple area to pray. Now, tax collectors are considered public sinners because of their corrupt practices. (Bingo... even during Jesus' time!)  That is why this tax collector "stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beats his breast..." to ask for God's mercy.  The parable concludes that God heard the prayer of the tax collector because he sought God in humility rather than in pride. 

Both men in the story who went to the temple to pray may be considered good men, precisely because they were there to pray. The Pharisee could rightly list his qualities. But his problem is when he regarded himself as better than others.  For none of us can say before the Almighty that "I am superior to anyone."

What then is the lesson that our Lord Jesus wants us to learn from this parable?

We can reflect that the story presents to us the good points about the importance of praying, but also a warning as well. Jesus is telling us that prayer should be free from boasting and pretensions.  Instead before God we should learn to strike our breast in humility. Because humility  helps us to see ourselves as we really are before God, and that is weak and sinful creatures in great need of God's mercy and compassion. 

So this parable is teaching us  that God dwells with the humble of heart who recognize their own sinfulness and acknowledge God's mercy and saving grace.  God cannot hear our prayer if we boast and despise others who are sinful like us.

Also in praying, it is not so much what we say to God in prayer as our attitude before God. For God knows what is in our mind and heart even before we can say the words. But God looks at our inner disposition when we dialogue with Him in prayer.

Today our Lord invites us to examine our hearts rather than look at others' faults. Let us humble ourselves and seek God's mercy in prayer, as we show mercy and kindness as well to others, especially those who seem difficult to love and forgive according to our human standard. Praying for God's mercy and forgiveness gives us hope when everything else seems to fail.

The Church celebrates World Mission Sunday today. As baptized Christians we are encouraged to assist in the mission of the Church in spreading the Gospel.  Let us help the mission with our prayers and material support.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!