30th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Reflection by Fr. Leo
The Gospel juxtaposes the prayer of the Pharisee and the tax collector in the temple. To benefit the most from this story, I think we should begin by acknowledging the sincerity of the Pharisee’s prayer. Because of all his sincere efforts in keeping religious precepts, he congratulates himself on all that he has done. He his honest, pays tithes, and fasts. He is religiously righteous. He is a product of Judaism of his time.
For all his goodness, he still judges others and places himself over them. He isn’t capable of true humility. He doesn’t even acknowledge his need for God, or express gratitude for all God’s gifts that help him be so “good.” He also lacks compassion. Instead of praying for and helping the tax collector, he judges him. In short, the Pharisee has all his religious observances in order, but he lacks heart. He can not love.
By contrast, we have the poor tax collector who pleads for mercy. Why? Because he knows he needs it. He is humble before God and prays from the heart. He knows he needs God and implores his forgiveness and love. Because of his open heart, the Lord hears his prayer. For God knows that with humility, comes the possibility of change and growth in holiness.
Genuine spirituality is always more than religious practice. For the truly spiritual, it is the humble sharing in God’s life that give religion, with its rituals and practice, meaning. When we pray we can hopefully celebrate our progress like the Pharisee, but also, pray with the humility of the tax collector.
Sometimes when people interview for jobs, the interviewee will be asked what they feel their strengths are. Then a bit later they might be asked to consider what weaknesses they might need to work on. The self-aware person will progress because of his or her honesty. The same is true in our prayer and spiritual lives.
God heard the prayer of the tax collector, not because he was poor, but because he was humble and poor of heart. In our first reading, we hear the words, “God, is not unduly partial to the poor, but he does hear their pleas.” (Sir) What matters to God is our genuineness of heart to be open to his mercy and love. It is then, like him, we become fonts of grace for others.
May our prayer then, make us one in heart with the Lord, and may our oneness in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, deepen our prayer and our unity with all God’s people. Let us strive to unite ourselves with the Lord in all things. Then we will be a source of God’s love for others in word and deed.