HOMILY: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
Luke 18:9-14
23 October 2022
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA
Will you oblige me today by answering a few questions? Who among you go to mass every Sunday without fail? (May I have a show of hands?) Who among you, in addition to Sunday obligation, attend daily mass? Who among you go to frequent confession? Now, does this make you any better than those who did not respond (or raise their hand)? Does this make you feel more worthy of a heavenly reward? Does this make you a good person?
What makes a good person? In today’s gospel reading, we expect that the Pharisee would easily fit the mould of a “good” person. As a Pharisee, we assume he carefully keeps the Jewish Law and the Commandments of God. Being a good Jew, he faithfully prays, fasts, and gives alms. And yet, Jesus does not hold him up as an example of righteousness. Why? Because he is too full of himself. He tells God, “I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — especially like this terrible tax collector…” (Luke 18:13) Notice how many times the word “I” appears in this rather short prayer — 4 times! In a way, what he is really trying to say is: God should be thankful that there are a few persons like him who are faithfully following His commands. Yes, he does pray, fast, give alms. But are they done out of love for God and the poor, or are they simply gestures to make him feel good about himself?
On the other hand, we have the Tax Collector. He belongs to the most-hated class in Jewish society. Tax collectors were considered traitors by their fellow Jews for colluding with the Roman colonisers in taking advantage of the local population. In the parable, the table is turned because the one who is seemingly “virtuous” is not right with God at all. Why is this so? The tax collector knows for certain that he is a sinner. He surely does not observe the Jewish law. He has behaved very poorly before God and neighbour. Although undoubtedly a sinner, the tax collector admits his sins. He knows that he needs God’s mercy in order for him to become a person most pleasing to God. Hence, in his prayer he implores God to be merciful to him, a sinner. We recall the words of Jesus in Luke 15:7: “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need repentance.” As the passage from the Book of Sirach assures: “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds.” (Sirach 35:21) God will most readily come to the aid of a sinner who in his humility recognises his need for God than a proud man who thinks he can very well take care of himself.
I have worked in parishes where some of the retiree volunteers and benefactors are ill-reputed for their difficult and condescending attitudes and harsh language. Yet, they are confident that their generosity with their time and treasure for the church guarantees that they will go to heaven when they die. This is something they brag about not realising they are terribly mistaken. No one can buy their way to heaven. Even the saints, in all their virtues and holiness, could not presume that they were worthy. You will not find one among them, after their moment of conversion, who claims to have triumphed of their own accord. All of them attribute their accomplishments to the power of the Almighty. All of them recognise that they are simply channels for God to bless His people and to dispense His graces.
Similarly, it is not for us to say that those of different faiths have no chance of going to heaven. Some Christian sects claim that theirs is the only way to heaven. And there are others who condemn non-Christians to hell. Of course, we value the tenets of our faith, which we believe to be handed down to us by Jesus and the apostles but in the grand scheme of things, who are we to judge? It is not religion, per se that saves a person, but God. We cannot presume to completely understand the heart of God. He sees us in our entirety — our past, present and future. He knows the state of our minds, our hearts and our souls. We can only hope in His mercy and trust in His love for humankind.
In the Second Reading, we get the impression that St. Paul may seem to have the same air of confidence exhibited by the Pharisee. St. Paul declares: “I have completed 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…” (2 Timothy 4:7-8) But as we read further, it is clear for St. Paul to whom he attributes the strength he needed to triumph over all the hardships he encountered in his missionary activities. “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength… To him be glory forever and ever.” (2 Timothy 4:17-18).
Today’s readings give us both a warning and a sign of hope. They caution us against being complacent in the good that we do. Nothing we accomplish in this world can match the greatness of God’s work. Nothing we can give will surpass the generosity of God. Therefore, we have no reason to boast. The tax collector is given to us as an example of how we are to conduct ourselves before God. Like him, we are reminded that with God and before God, humility is the only posture a creature can take before his/her Creator. In one of the Eucharistic Prayers, we pray “giving thanks that God has made us worthy to be in His presence and minister to Him…” We ought to remain humble and recognize how truly small and insignificant we are compared to the power and splendour of our Lord.
We can however stand firm in the hope that our efforts do not go unnoticed by God. He knows each of us intimately and looks upon us with such interest and concern. Most importantly, we should take to heart what St. Paul reveals to us — we need to persevere in the ways of Jesus until the very end of our life, doing everything, and living every moment with love. Rest assured, God keeps His promises to those He, alone, deems worthy.
Sunday Gospel Reflections 