30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C
October 27, 2013 - Saint Martin de Tours Catholic Church
When Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro asked Pope Francis, in the now famous
interview, “Who is Jorge Mario Bergoglio?” our Holy Father seemed genuinely
surprised at the question.
The pope stared at him in silence.
Then, after reflecting for a moment, he said, “I am a sinner. This is the most accurate definition.”
The pope continued to reflect and concentrate as if he hadn’t expected
the question.
He continued, “Yes, the best summary, the one that comes more from the
inside and I feel most true is this: I
am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.
I am one who is looked upon by the Lord.”
One wonders if he was thinking of the very gospel passage we are
reflecting upon this weekend.
As I reflect, I am very much aware that I am a sinner myself.
I rush to judgment, sometimes thinking the worst about a person instead
of giving the benefit of the doubt.
I get frustrated and sometimes angry with people who are small-minded. I fail to consult as widely as I could when
making pastoral decisions.
I can be short or even ill-tempered with people who make inappropriate
requests of the church.
From time to time, I join in the Saint Martinville gossip.
And through my own body language, I sometimes give the impression that I
am aloof or unapproachable or even uncaring, when, in fact, the opposite is
true.
I too am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.
In the Psalm we sing that the Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Does the Lord hear Pope Francis’ cry from mercy?
The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Blessed be the Lord.
Does the Lord hear my cry for mercy?
The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Blessed be the Lord.
Does the Lord hear your cry for mercy?
The Lord hears the cry of the poor. Blessed be the Lord.
In the Book of Sirach from the Old Testament reading, we are told that
the one who serves God willingly is heard.
We serve God in our worship. Do
we come here willingly or out of a sense of obligation, begrudgingly?
We serve God willingly when we lift our voices in song. Do we pick up the songbooks in church when a
hymn is announced and at least try our best to sing along?
We serve God willingly when we answer the call to help our brothers and
sisters in need. Do we give to some
charity, maybe the Bishop’s Services Appeal, or do we do some good volunteer
work in our community?
The one who serves God willingly is heard.
In the gospel, the Pharisee asks for nothing and he receives
nothing. The tax collector, on the other
hand, bangs his chest and asks that his sins be forgiven and his prayer is
answered.
We must be careful not to be like the Pharisee. His prayer is not necessarily a bad
prayer. But it is mostly about him.
It is self-absorbed. It is
boastful. In his prayer, he tells God
about all the good things he is doing.
He is convinced that he has earned his place of honor. He thinks he is managing his own salvation.
The Pharisee believes in a God who is quick to judge and condemn anyone
who falls outside the norms of what he considers to be acceptable behavior.
As a result, he is also quick to condemn those who are not like
him. This makes him proud and arrogant; and
his temple worship becomes self-centered.
The tax collector, on the other hand, confesses his sinfulness and begs
for mercy. He cries out to God in
despair.
He is overwhelmed at what he perceives to be the great gulf separating
him from God. The Lord accepts his
sacrifice of a broken contrite heart and draws near to the tax collector.
We are called to acknowledge our own sinfulness and entrust ourselves to
the generous mercy of God.
Our God is bigger than any particular sins we have committed.
God’s mercy is much stronger. God’s
love bring forgiveness.
Jesus teaches us to never look down upon our fellow sinners.
If we do, we are like the Pharisee.
“Thank you God that I am not like so and so.”
Rather, we are called to help our neighbors in their search for God.
Our church community should be an open, welcoming place for all God’s
children, sinners every one.
It is in this place that the humble broken contrite heart is exalted and
made new.
It is in this place that the Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Blessed be the Lord.