If you only knew what God is offering..
he would have given you living water.
Let anyone who believes in me come and drink!
He was speaking of the Spirit
There was no Spirit as yet because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time C
Eccles35:12-14. 16-19, Psalm 32:2-3. 17-19. 23. Rv.7, 2 Tim 4:6-8. 16-18,
The humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds
The poor man called; the Lord heard him.
I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith.
The man who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 18: 9-14
He spoke the following parable to some people who prided themselves on being upright and despised everyone else, 10 'Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, "I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like everyone else, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here. 12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get." 13 The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." 14 This man, I tell you, went home again justified; the other did not. For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, but anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.'
The truth about you
Jesus speaks to those who pride themselves on being virtuous and despise others. Pharisees were zealous keepers of the Law. This Pharisee is blameless in every respect, even giving ten per cent of all his income to God. He cannot be faulted. Whereas he considers others adulterers, thieves and swindlers, he is perfect. Jesus doesn’t condemn him. He says that he was not justified before God and His prayer was useless.
We should never forget that of ourselves we are nothing. You are not a worm but the truth is you could have been. That you are not is due not to you but to the kindness of the Father who created you. If you are not a grave sinner it is because God has preserved you. No one has a right to stand before God; ’if we say “we have no sin” the truth is not in us (1John 1:8). ‘Even the stars are not pure in God’s sight’ (Job 25:5). This Pharisee identifies virtue with keeping the law. He ticks off the laws one by one. He has kept them all and so is perfect! He is totally oblivious to his pride. He manifests this in his prayer itself as he judges others. He thanks God but he in no way feels he needs God. His prayer is all about himself. God should congratulate him for his virtue.
It is so difficult not to pride oneself on being better than others. We are not as blatant as the Pharisee but just as judgemental. How many who leave the Church pass judgement: ‘Catholics have deviated from the Bible’ ‘They are hypocrites’. Unconsciously they judge themselves to be better. When we condemn others for their crimes, do we not consider ourselves superior? The tax-collector on the other hand realizes his need for God. He realizes how imperfect he is and that he needs God’s mercy.
In the Mass we pray: keep us free from sin. Unless God keeps us free from sin, we will fall into the grossest of sins. Of ourselves we can do nothing. If we do great things, it is due to God’s grace. We are totally dependent on him. He wants us to share in his life – to become divine like him, as his Son became human like us. This is impossible for us. We can only receive it as a gift. To exalt ourselves is a lie because we have come from ‘nothing.’ We have received everything as a gift. Our prayer is Mary’s; ‘he has looked on the lowliness of his servant. He has done great things for me’.
Forgetting your origin do you consider yourself important? ‘Do you look down on others because of their social class or caste, or because of the crimes they have committed? Do realize you depend on God’s mercy?
Father, may I have the truth to realize that if it wasn’t for you I would in fact be the worst of sinners.
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