Title: THIRTIETH SUNDAY OF YEAR C

GOD  ANSWERS THE HUMBLE

Going through todays readings will make a serious person take a moment to ask God for Wisdom as Solomon did. I always thought we could stand infront of God and just allow words to flow from us. Sometimes one could even claim it is the Spirit leading him or her. Would the following be your questions too!! Let us see. Why would the Pharisee go home not justified? Is it not true that he fasted! that he paid his Church dues! Shouldn't he thank God that he was who he was? And why would the Tax collector who sided with the oppressor (the Romans) go home Justified? Is it because he said some few words? If I do the same, would I also be justified? That makes life very easy.

Paul in the second reading claims to have competed well, that he has kept the Faith and expected to receive the crown of righteousness. How is this attitude different from that of the Pharisee?

The Readings today continues from last Sunday. Last Sunday we saw that prayer acknowledges our dependence on God. As is well stated in the opening lines of the Gospel today, the Pharisee is a good example of those who are convinced of their own righteousness and who are proud and dispise others. In true prayer, there is no room for Pride one of the deadly sins. The Pharisee's problem is Pride. He is so self centered that he thinks God needs to be informed by him. He does not acknowledge that all he has came from God.  He seems to say "God, you should be deeply grateful that you have someone like me - and there are not many of us..." The Pharisee, does not only boast, he also condemns the other. He is judgemental.

For sure the Tax collector should not be praised for his evil actions; for being a swindler and extortionist, for collecting money from his own oppressed people and giving it to the oppressor (the Romans). Jesus definitly does not praise him for those but rather for admitting his sins and their grave consequences. He recognized that his sins had alienated him from God and from others. Sin had isolated him. He was Lonely and Miserable. God only is his refugee now. He needs God's grace at this moment to move him from fantacy to reality. It is his desire for conversion which brings healing to him. Remember the prayer of the 10 lepers Luke 17:11 - 19? "Jesus, Master Have pity on us"  Happy the person who has put ones trust in the Lord...... In other words, how can God reach out to a proud person who thinks he can take care of himself ? Who does not need Salvation from God? Read  1 John 1:6,8.

Paul unlike the Pharisee is humble; He acknowledges what he has done, but he will only be rewarded according to the judgement of the Just Judge. And He acknowledges the goodness in others who will also be rewarded. The pharisee had done all for himself, Paul's life had been poured as a liabation not for himself but that others might come to know the power of Christ's Love in their lives.

Today again we are called to Humility. It is important to realize that we come before God, not because we are so good, but because we are so empty. We realize that sin has denied us close relationship with God and others. That we have not loved as we could love because we have tried loving ourselves instead of others. So we come to God asking that he listens to our cries to restore this broken  relationship. We ackowledge our dependence on God. The first reading today asures us that God will answer this prayer. Actually this is the meaning of our Penitential rite at the begining of each Eucharistic Celebration. Have we taken this important aspect seriously?

Pope Benedict XVI's next Encyclical is on Christian Hope (Spe Salvi = Saved by Hope). Today's readings give great hope to the sinner and indeed all of us. It is uplifting to be reminded that God's attitude towards the other is very different from our own. God is Love. He doesn't hit back on the repentent sinner. God had infinite desire for the wellbeing of the creature, every creature including the sinner. It is precisely as a sinner that a person most needs the Love of God. God unlike the Pharisee and "us" does not see a sin as an "offence" against himself. Rather he sees the sinner as a person who has made a bad mistake and needs to be healed and restored. Actually it is the sinner who is hurt or has hurt him/her self rather than hurting God. So when such a person accepts healing as the Prodigal son did, there is always celebration.

So as people who have sinned let us pick Hope from the words of the Exultat "... Felix Culpa = ...Happy Fault....." Let us allow this reality help us realize how weak we are and how much we need God's help and the help of other people. And so we will not underestimate Gods knowledge and Love nor judge others. With Paul let us keep the Faith and compete well. 

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