30th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C

There was a story told that a young man who was very stern and humor-less. One day, he was not feeling very well, so he went to see the doctor. The doctor asked him some questions: Do you drink excessively, or do you use tobacco products. Do you often eat junk foods?” The young man replied with contempt and disdain: “I'm not like other people. I never, ever, ever touch any of those things.” Moreover, he felt so insulted by the doctor's questions. The doctor ask: “What about your sleeping patterns, are you getting enough rest each evening? Are you having 5-7 hours of sleep each night?” He proudly replied: “Yes, I go to bed early each night. I don't waste time with late-night partying, or carousing like other people. I'm very busy. I am in bed by 8, and up at 5am.” So the doctor said: “You seem perfect and all put together. So, what seems to be your problem.” The young man said: “I've been having these terrible headaches.” The doctor said: “Ah...I see your problem. Your halo is on too tight.”

In today's parable, the Pharisee has that problem. His halo was on too tight. Notice that how he prays, not to God, but 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. Mind you, the things that he was doing were all good and wonderful. The Lord is not putting people down for doing good, or applauding people who are not abiding to the commandments.

But he warns against pride. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. It can have a negative effect on the soul. A prideful person looks down upon others with contempt and disdain. Just as the Pharisee looks down on the tax-collector. The Tax-Collector went away justified because of his humility. “O Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.” At the beginning of Mass, we approach God with humility, by saying the Confetior: “I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned...” Granted, we may not feel like we have greatly sinned, and that we have lived a good and decent life. But the prayer ritual helps us to remain humble. It calls to mind our need for God's grace. It's a built in formula to protect us from succumbing to pride.

A helpful image of humility...Soldiers, for an exercise training, have to crawl underneath the barb wires. As long as the soldier remains underneath the wires, he will not be caught and tangled up in the wires. Humility comes the latin, humilis, which means ground. Humility is to remain close to the ground.

A quote from an author about humility for inspiration: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” Thinking less of yourself is false humility. Thinking of yourself less is true humility.

Humility helps us to pray for others. Instead of judging others, we can always pray for others. We can have hope for others who are in need. The Pharisee didn't once pray for his fellow tax-collector. He merely saw himself as being better, and more self-righteous.

St. Paul, in his letter to Timothy, shares his humble experience, about proclaiming the Risen Jesus. Although it was not easy, but the Lord helped helped him and delivered him from harm. As he prepares for his transition to eternal life, by receiving the crown of martyrdom, he uses the language of sacrifice and images of athletic competition, “poured out like a libation...” and “I have competed well, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, from now on the crown of righteousness awaits me...”

First reading from book of Sirach, God hears the humble. God hears the cry of the oppressed, God is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor the complaint of the widow. The petitions of the humble reaches the heavens. Their prayer pierces the clouds. Basically, if God hears their laments and cries, may we also open our hearts and ears to lend a helping hand.

The virtue of humility helps to approach God with gratitude, knowing that all the we are, and all that we have is from Almighty God. In the Sacrament of Eucharist, we offer the Lord the bread and wine, to be consecrated to become the body and blood of Christ. The bread and wine is from God, with the work of human hands. In the spirit of thanksgiving, in the presence of the great mystery before us, Christ's presence, we humbly depend on the gift of faith. God offers us the greatest gift, the gift of sharing in divine life, the gift of His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ. There is no greater gift than Jesus. In humility, we offer back to God the Father, this great gift of Christ, and we allow ourselves to be an offering of love and sacrifice, so as to be united more closely to Christ, the mystery of His presence in our midst. Our sacrifices are small in comparison to the sacrifice of God, but like St. Paul said: “Poured out like a libation...”, our sacrifices and services, nevertheless, it glorifies Almighty God. Lob Sei Gott, praise and glory to God.