Fr. Serge TchaTche
In this 30th Sunday of the ordinary season, we celebrate also the Mission Sunday. Whose theme is “You will be my witnesses”. Mission is about being the heart, the hands, the words of God for the people we meet. Looking at today readings, is to become a poor because “the prayer of the poor pierces the clouds” (Sir 35, 16).
In today parable, both characters (Pharisee and publican) are of equal importance. We can focus on one of them, knowing that at the end we carry both in our heart and manifest them in different moments. Jesus want us to avoid praying and doing things like people who “pride themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else” (Lk 18, 9)
The Pharisee of the parable is the kin of person we would generally consider “good”. We don’t have reason for doubting that he does what he says. According to the text, he was upright and faithful to his religious duties, but looking at what Jesus says at the end, he is full of himself. His two sins, which are always linked, are that he did not humble himself and look down on others. He even looks down on God, because his prayer is to say to God that he merit what he have because of his did. So that he is better than the others. He will fall in the pit of the spiritual pride, from what it’s difficult to come out, as it’s the sin of Lucifer himself. We have to remember when Jesus made us aware that we were taking pride in our high moral standards, or in our did. There we were acting like the pharisee. How often we despise the others in different ways? We should reflect on that.
The publican also must be correctly interpreter. He is the symbol of that people who are self-confident event so they don’t have illusions about themselves and they don’t despise the others. Rather, they know that the share the same fate as others and the same weaknesses. They “dare not raise their eyes to heaven”, but do not grovel either. They are the symbol of the “Poor in heart” of the beatitudes, people who recognise and accept what they are, and are able to give what they are without complaining or showing of.
The pharisee would look good in any religious line-up, and the tax collector would be in the comer of the line up, almost cowering in the back of the prayer-place, hoping nobody would see him.
Jesus comments on the story that everyone would recognise, and we recognise ourselves in both people: the proud and arrogant person at times, and at the other times, the one who feel a total failure. He just says:” in admitting who you are, you are high in the sight of God and high at God’s table.
God acknowledge sincerity, humility, authenticity more than all the so-called good things we do just to try cuddling our selfishness and pride. Our meditation should lad us to two responses: ask God’s mercy for our sins and celebrate the Grace to be able of setting the path of conversion from sin to grace in our daily life. Because this is the first step to be witnesses on this mission day.
In this 30th Sunday of the ordinary season, we celebrate also the Mission Sunday. Whose theme is “You will be my witnesses”. Mission is about being the heart, the hands, the words of God for the people we meet. Looking at today readings, is to become a poor because “the prayer of the poor pierces the clouds” (Sir 35, 16).
In today parable, both characters (Pharisee and publican) are of equal importance. We can focus on one of them, knowing that at the end we carry both in our heart and manifest them in different moments. Jesus want us to avoid praying and doing things like people who “pride themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else” (Lk 18, 9)
The Pharisee of the parable is the kin of person we would generally consider “good”. We don’t have reason for doubting that he does what he says. According to the text, he was upright and faithful to his religious duties, but looking at what Jesus says at the end, he is full of himself. His two sins, which are always linked, are that he did not humble himself and look down on others. He even looks down on God, because his prayer is to say to God that he merit what he have because of his did. So that he is better than the others. He will fall in the pit of the spiritual pride, from what it’s difficult to come out, as it’s the sin of Lucifer himself. We have to remember when Jesus made us aware that we were taking pride in our high moral standards, or in our did. There we were acting like the pharisee. How often we despise the others in different ways? We should reflect on that.
The publican also must be correctly interpreter. He is the symbol of that people who are self-confident event so they don’t have illusions about themselves and they don’t despise the others. Rather, they know that the share the same fate as others and the same weaknesses. They “dare not raise their eyes to heaven”, but do not grovel either. They are the symbol of the “Poor in heart” of the beatitudes, people who recognise and accept what they are, and are able to give what they are without complaining or showing of.
The pharisee would look good in any religious line-up, and the tax collector would be in the comer of the line up, almost cowering in the back of the prayer-place, hoping nobody would see him.
Jesus comments on the story that everyone would recognise, and we recognise ourselves in both people: the proud and arrogant person at times, and at the other times, the one who feel a total failure. He just says:” in admitting who you are, you are high in the sight of God and high at God’s table.
God acknowledge sincerity, humility, authenticity more than all the so-called good things we do just to try cuddling our selfishness and pride. Our meditation should lad us to two responses: ask God’s mercy for our sins and celebrate the Grace to be able of setting the path of conversion from sin to grace in our daily life. Because this is the first step to be witnesses on this mission day.