Reading I: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
Reading II: 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
GOSPEL: Luke 18:9-14
At Least I’m Not Like That Guy
I’m probably not the best person to be writing a reflection on this Sunday’s Gospel. I have a close friend who says my motto should be “I’m humble and proud of it!”
Like many Catholics, I have spent so much of my life trying to please God by being good that I tend to think I’m good because of my own efforts. Even when I sin, my tendency is to think “At least I’m not like that guy!” For people like me, today’s Gospel delivers a piercing message: “You’ve missed the point, Brian!”
Freedom’s Just Another Word… for God’s Love
You see, early in my faith formation, I somehow got it wrong. I got the message that the more good things I did, the more God would love me. But as we all should know, that’s not true at all. The truth is that we have God’s full and unconditional love from the moment of conception to the moment of death. The Gospel is clear that there is nothing we can do to merit more of God’s love or to make God love us less.
This knowledge is freedom. It means that we’re not in a competition over who God will love more. God’s love is not dependent on who makes the most pies for the festival, or who attends the most youth group meetings, or who volunteers the most hours at the Catholic Worker house. And we don’t need to make judgments over who is the greater sinner as the Pharisee did. Instead, true faith follows the example of the tax collector who understood that we are all in equal need of God’s mercy.
Spiritual Humility Is Not Weak
I certainly don’t want to have the arrogance of the Pharisee, who says, “God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity.” This could very well be a “man thing” from that ancient society, but even today it can be hard to be spiritually humble.
Of course, it could also be a “man thing” when the image of the tax collector beating his breast strikes me as someone who is timid or weak. Which is why I’m glad that this Sunday’s second reading gives us the example of St. Paul.
St. Paul knew that his strength wasn’t a result of his own efforts. We hear him proclaim, “the Lord stood by me and gave me strength [and] will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom.”
Although St. Paul knew spiritual humility, he was anything but a spiritual pushover. He preached fearlessly, even when it meant he might be attacked by an angry mob or thrown into jail. His strength and confidence were rooted in his spiritual humility, which is always stronger than spiritual pride.
When you know that God is the source of your strength, you have no reason to fear.
Life Applications:
In what ways am I tempted to think of myself as better than others?
How can I remind myself daily that I am passionately loved by God, who is the source of my strength?
How have I experienced the Lord’s strength in my life?
Check out the REAL Word Podcast for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C):
Original article by Brian Singer-Towns, 2004-2022.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.