Sinners In Need Of God’s Mercy
1. Poor and Humble Before God
2. God Sees What Is in Us
Introduction
1. Poor and Humble before God
Too often we pretend that we are better than we really are. We wear masks and dare not show our true selves, not even before God. The Lord’s message for today says: Stand before God the way you are, be honest and humble with yourself, and you will learn to be without pretense before God and the people around you. Such an attitude brings us close to God, close to our real self, close to people. Let us ask the Lord to hear our prayer today.
2. God Sees What Is in Us
If we try our best to live decently as good Christians who serve God well, would we still deserve a scolding from God? The message of today says yes. What is really our attitude before God? Do we think God should be grateful to us for all the things we have done for him? Do we look down on others who fail, who are weak and turn wrong? Are we aware that they also do good things? He sees what is good in them and he loves them for it. We pray that Jesus may give us an attitude of honesty with ourselves, with God and with people.
First Reading: The Prayer of the Humble Pierces the Clouds
God hears the prayer of the humble who are aware of how poor they are before God.
1 Reading: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
The LORD is a God of justice, who knows no favourites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint. The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right, and the Lord will not delay.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
R. (7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad. R.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the Lord hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them. R.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him. R.
Second Reading: I Have Fought the Good Fight to the End
Paul knows that the end of his life is approaching. He has remained loyal to God, who is his hope. He professes his trusting faith in God, who has been loyal to him to the end.
2 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.
Alleluia 2 Corinthians 5:19
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
and entrusting to us the message of salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: God Hears Those Aware of Their Poverty
God rejects the prayer of the self-righteous person, but listens to that of the sinner who is aware of his inner poverty, trusting in God’s mercy.
Gospel: Luke 18:9-14
Jesus 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 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Commentary
Note what vs 11 says: “The Pharisee… spoke this prayer to himself.” Other versions say he “prayed with/for himself”. In fact, some translate that he simply “talked to himself” (not prayer). However, we see it on TV all the time: people who seem to be very religious, even fanatical, and appear to be buying God’s favour through their good actions in an orphanage, hospital or troubled neighbourhoods; but when we observe them in their daily lives, they are evil, deceitful, and hypocritical. The worst thing is that they believe they have every right and authority to control and make decisions in the lives of others and they have no need for anything or anybody… even of God. Today’s first reading says that the prayer of the humble person pierces the clouds.
God bends in love toward those who know their needs deeply; but a person who is self-sufficient, even if God did come down to him, since he is unaware of his need, he does not present it. Furthermore, the self-reliant person probably would not even realize that God was fulfilling his needs even without being asked.
Self-sufficiency is a type of blindness and deafness that encloses people in their own sense of security and prevents them from knowing God. It is a type of idolatry [self-worship], which doesn’t acknowledge that it is a radical rejection of God. The self-reliant people feel they are above everyone else, but the truth is they live in the most radical loneliness. They feel so good, important, and perfect that they don’t need relationships with others, much less a relationship with God. They become isolated, impoverished, and less human. What makes a person truly human is relationship and communication with others. Philosophers call it interrelatedness, interconnectedness, interdependence. This is really being an image of God since God, being love, is communicative. Love can never be closed in upon itself. Those who are self-sufficient don’t love and, therefore, they erase the image of God from themselves; they sink even further into their lack of humanity; they think they have everything and in reality, they are only destroying themselves. Avoid it. It is unchristian.
Blessing
In this Eucharist we have thanked God
for having made us rich
by the grace of Jesus and his gospel.
May God fill you with his good gifts
and bless you all:
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Go in the peace of the Lord,
and may he go with you on all your ways. R/ Thanks be to God. Amen!