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 30th Sunday, Year C: Homily by Fr Isaac Chima

Theme: How to make our prayer effective before God

Readings: Sir 35:12-14.16-19; 2 Tim 4:6-8.16-19; Lk 18:9-14

Dear friends in Christ, last Sunday, the Church reminded us of the importance of perseverance in prayer. This Sunday, she opens our hearts to a deeper truth: that the effectiveness of our persistent prayers depends not only on our words, but also on the disposition of our hearts and the integrity of our lives.

In the first reading, Sirach speaks of God’s justice, especially toward the poor, the orphan, the widow, and the vulnerable. He urges us to mirror that justice in our society. His words are timely because we live in an age where justice is often bought, and the powerful prevail in court. But in the “Heavenly Court”, God—the Just Judge—cannot be bribed. He sees the heart. When we serve the poor and the weak with sincerity, our prayers rise like incense before Him. As today’s psalm affirms, “The Lord turns His face against the wicked… but when the just cry out, the Lord hears and rescues them from their distress.”

In the second reading, St. Paul, having lived a life of humble service to God and humanity, speaks with confidence, “I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith; now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” What gave Paul this assurance? A life poured out in love—for God and for others. If you are already walking this path of humility and service, do not grow weary. Continue to the end. God, the Just Judge, will reward you.

Sirach also teaches us that humility is essential in prayer: “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds.” Humility opens heaven’s gates. It allows us to stand before God not with pride, but with contrition. The psalmist echoes this, saying, “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed He will save.”

It is this humility in God’s presence that Jesus highlights in today’s Gospel. He tells of two men who came to pray: a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee, full of pride, prayed to himself and not to God. He recounted his virtues and judged others. The tax collector, on the other hand, stood at a distance, bowed his head, beat his breast, and cried out for mercy. Jesus tells us that it was the tax collector who went home justified.

St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Therefore, the first attitude in prayer must be humility, an honest acknowledgement of our sinfulness and our need for grace. When we approach God in prayer or in confession, we must come with humility, not self-congratulation. It is not the time to list the many good things we have done. God already knows them. What He desires is a contrite heart—a heart that acknowledges its faults and seeks His mercy.

Too often, I have seen people come to confession and spend time recounting their good deeds. But confession is not the place for self-justification. It is a sacred moment when we lay bare our failures, not our achievements, so that we can obtain mercy and grace to be better humans.

The tax collector understood this message perfectly. His posture, his words, and his silence all expressed a heart laid bare before God. That is true prayer and confession.

Another obstacle to effective prayer is the tendency to judge others. Jesus calls us to be holy, just as our heavenly Father is holy. God, not other people, must be the standard by which we measure our lives. When we judge others, we make them the benchmark of our righteousness. But human judgement is flawed. The Pharisee judged the tax collector and exalted himself. Had he measured himself against God’s holiness, he would have been humbled into silence.

So, dear friends, let us renounce the habit of judging and condemning others. Let us not place ourselves in high positions or assign others to places they do not deserve. Instead, let us correct with love, walk in humility, and strive to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.

Let us stand before God as we truly are—fragile, broken, and in need of mercy. For Jesus assures us, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Peace be with you. Have a blessed Sunday

Rev Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima