30^TH SUNDAY, YEAR C: REFLECTION BY FR. JULIAN EKEH

THEME: JESUS AND THE BETTER-THAN-THOU PEOPLE

(Luke 18:9-14)

The emphasis of Jesus today is about those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others on account of that. With the story of the pharisee and the tax collector at prayers He demonstrated the attitude of the better-than-thou people, the ITKs (I too know) as they are commonly called by Nigerians. Jesus condemned the evil tendency in them to relegate others and make even their humanity not to count. There is an observation in what Jesus said about the pharisees that is insightful, namely their talking to themselves. In their talking to themselves, they think less of God and talk down on others. Themselves is all that matters. The pharisee talked about himself using the personal pronoun 'I' up to six times in not more than two sentences. That goes a long way to talk about his self-centredness and egocentric behaviour. All He thinks of is the I me and myself. Is such a life inspired by the Gospel?

 

INSIGHTS FROM THE GOSPEL

 

UNHEALTHY COMPARISON

The two men in the parable of Jesus today actually went to pray. But the pharisee forgot who should be prayed to and was busy talking to himself. What a shift of attention! Are there times we forget our life objectives? When the student in university stops the academic pursuit that took her to the university and gives in much time to beautification and less to her academic qualification to be like the happening people in the campus?  Is this necessary?

When one gets a job and looks down on those who are jobless as nonentities, he is making a negative and destructive comparison.  When one who has married sees the unmarried as cursed, he or she is guilty of unhealthy comparison. When the rich man looks down on the poor, he is creating an unnecessary barrier which Jesus has come to dismantle.

When one disadvantages some people on the grounds of tribe, colour or race then Jesus will never smile at such.

 

BETTER THAN THOU MENTALITY

 

As the pharisee talked to and with himself, he thanked God for one thing: that he is not like the tax collector. His happiness was that he is better. Such are the people among us whose happiness is that every good thing comes from their houses. Their joy is that their children go to good schools while the children of others are dropouts. Their reason to be glad is that when they come to a meeting, they're only ones talking. They thank God that other students fail while they pass well and remain on top. In the Church, they are happy that only their own voices are heard, they are the only ones that have the type of anointing that breaks the yoke.

Jesus proposes real self-acceptance that is to say someone opening himself to God and living in humility even of his shortcomings.

 

JUDGEMENTAL LIFE OF THE PHARISEE

As they talked less about God, nor consider what God really require from them, they write off their fellow human beings and even consider them non-existent for one or two things they have to show. But their poor judgment will not allow them to be objective enough to reach the level beyond human eye. That is where God's interest lies. They do not see that their prayer life is crippled but they see those who shouldn't come to the Church.  Their eyes are closed to their own sins but they see the ills of others clearly and condemn them with ease. They humiliate others and lift themselves up.

 

FROM WHERE COMES THE EXALTATION?

The fulfilment as Jesus calls it lies in one humbling himself. When you become aware of your nothingness God does something great with and about you. You can never live a fulfilled life without telling yourself the truth about yourself.  There are truths about you which no one but you and your God know about. Every glory comes from God. God keeps calm and watches. One he exalted the other was not. One goes fulfilled while the other leaves empty. The pharisee gave himself his own brand of exaltation and lost the fulfilment which only God can give.

What do you actually want? To exalt yourself or to be exalted by God?

May God bless His word in our hearts.

 

LET US PRAY 

Oh Lord our God, thank You for Your word today. Help us to live fulfilled after our encounter with You and our neighbours, may we not claim to be righteous but ever draw our righteousness from You. May we be healed from our self-centeredness and live godly in love for our fellow human beings through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Happy Sunday (30th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh

 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