By: Rev. Fr. Emma N. Asogwa.
Join today's reading; Sunday, 23rd of October, 2022.
INTRODUCTION:
The entire readings of today underscore the Lord’s preference for the poor and lowly (1st R), the marginalized and the victimized (like Paul in 2nd R.), the humble and weak (like the tax collector in the gospel), because the virtues evoked by these conditions, provoke God, as a righteous judge (cf. All readings), to action in their favour. These virtues include a broken spirit, total trust and dependence, hope on and resignation to God as we find in the three readings of today.
In the Gospel of today, two people made a prayer to God; the self-righteous Pharisee and the heart-broken publican (tax-collector). The attitude these two showcased, in the light of what is said above, provoked different reactions from God.
The Proud Pharisee of today earned Divine resentment while the humble tax-collector attracted Divine Justification and mercy. Our interest in this reflection is to examine these two attitudes to prayer and to life, and to see how much of them we can find in us!
THE PHARISEE OF TODAY IS IN US:
* When we come before God with a ‘deserve’ mentality thinking we merit His favours.
* When we exhibit a blind and quick judgemental attitude unto others that makes us not look inside of us to see who we really are. A number of human judgements have been shown to be hasty and faulty. (*bereaved doctor misjudged to be harsh and proud *fast judging aunty over child *harsh resenting displeasure over a stranger presumed to be eating from a young woman about to board a plane etc.)
* When prayer for us is how much we ‘brandish’ our ‘purported’ charismatic gifts before people often in the name of ‘ministration’ and despise others as not having ‘experience’ and so not capable of understanding what we do. (Though as a Charismatic, I am not against ‘ministration’ but Charismatic priests should also watch this ‘spiritual superiority complex’, and especially the tendency to pray to ourselves thinking we are praying to God). The unfortunate experience is that most times, ‘all that glitters is not gold’ and many people who show themselves to be pious/special Christians/priests have their lives full of jealousy, insecurity, unhealthy criticism, pride, pretence, inability to admit the good in others, childish competitive spirit, surprising vanity and carnality etc.
* When we puff ourselves up as the most spiritual and yet look down on others; that is, when we see them in a condescending manner, believing that we are superior to them before God, and yet failing in the most basic demands of Christian charity.
* When we mistake public ‘piety’ to be ‘true’ holiness.
* When we show no sympathy and support over those sinners struggling to make amends.
* When our language is ‘serves him right’ instead of ‘it could have been me safe the grace of God.’
* When our supposed ‘love for God’ does not translate into love for neighbour! (cf. Also Op. Pr.)
* When we make our boast in our ourselves instead of in the Lord. This is what distinguished the Pharisee in today’s gospel from Paul in the second reading (cf. Also Resp. Ps. V. 1) for whom even the crown is a gift.
* When we think we can talk to God or pray with a proud heart forgetting the fact that the gate of heaven is so low that none can enter it save upon his knees.
*When our opinion of ourselves is too high, too self-righteous and too selfish! (sin of vanity)
* When our very best is mere fulfillment of the mere demands of the law; minimalistic spirituality!
THE REPUBLICAN OF TODAY IS IN US:
*When we come before God with a humbled, lowly and contrite heart. (cf. Also Resp. Psalm).
*When we really feel our unworthiness before His Holy Majesty and approach Him with a sense of our ‘unworthiness’ for His blessings.
*When we admit our guilt and trust in His mercy.
*When we display courage by still making effort to come before His presence despite the barriers of societal, ecclesiastical and spiritual ostracism.
*When we learn to measure ourselves not against others but against God’s expectations of us! Indeed, whenever we set ourselves against God’s utter holiness, the natural and consequent expressions would always be ‘be merciful to me, a sinner’.
*When our prayer is indeed a sincere communication with God as a loving and merciful father.
* When we come before the Lord with a sincere desire for repentance and earnest resolution to make our lives better (and not just for miracles only).
* When we come to God in His temple with a singular focus on Him and not on others.
CONCLUSION:
*Paradoxically, the tax-collector was far and his heart was nearer to God than the Pharisee who was near and yet ended up ‘praying to himself’ signifying a disconnect from God. The real parameter for prayer is indeed how near our hearts become to God despite our physical distance.
* Paul’s statement reminds us that Christian Life is a fight/struggle, a race and a treasure to be kept.
We humbly pray to God to give us the grace, like Paul, of courage and determination and pressure with the right weapons to fight the fight, the discipline, self-training and motivation and focus to run the race and a sense of fidelity, strong conviction and submission to His will, to keep the treasure/faith to the end.
We pray also for the humble spirit of the tax collector to life and prayer, so that in constantly realizing our nothingness before God even as we make our sincere efforts like Paul, we may experience God’s munificence and the Grace of His bounteous reward. Amen!
Happy Sunday beloved friends!
.....A bum aja dara ada, Chineke buliem elu….
