The 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time brings to us the concluding words of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke: “[W]hoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 18:14).
We hear these words in the context of the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican – the tax collector – who were praying in the Temple.
First, let us take a look at the Pharisee. He sees himself as being righteous, of course, by reason of his works of piety: fasting and tithing, to be precise. To fast, to give of one’s income, these are good things. Still, one of the problems with the attitude of the Pharisee is that he seems to have it all figured out – who are the good people, the righteous, the pious – and conversely, who are the impious, the unrighteous. It is a very clear black and white world. These are the good, these are the bad. If this parable did not come from the very mouth of Jesus, we probably would be justified in siding with the Pharisee, and his world-view. We know, after all, that being a thief, rogue, or an adulterer, is sinful and destructive. These are actions that truly damage the fabric of the community, and of the Church.
In fact, the Pharisee’s prayer is not a prayer at all, because the Pharisee is self-sufficient. He does not really need anything from God, neither is he truly doing an act of thanksgiving. Saint Augustine had this to say: “Examining his [the Pharisee’s] words you find he asks nothing of God…He has no wish to ask God for anything. He wishes simply to praise himself; and insult the other man praying there. The conscience of the Publican holds him afar off; but his piety brings him near to God” (The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers, M.F. Toal ed., vol. 3, 1959, 358). So the Pharisee’s so-called prayer is actually interior self-praise. We too ought to be very careful when, especially in the context of prayer, also in the context of worship, we have thoughts such as: “I’ll show them how it’s done” or “They’ll see me and learn”. These thoughts can be the symptom of spiritual pride, a pride that can affect pious, zealous and otherwise faithful people. This spiritual pride can initially have the sweet-smell of devotion and zeal for the faith.
Yes, pride is a dangerous enemy for us, because it weakens all of our spiritual defences. It weakens charity. Saint Gregory the Great compared pride to a breach in the defending wall of a city – even though the wall is very high and sturdy, that one breach, that one opening, allows the enemy to come in. He had this to say about the Pharisee: “See how through pride he laid open the citadel of his heart to the enemies that lay in wait for him; and whom he had shut out in vain by prayer and fasting. In vain are all the remaining defences, as long as there is one place undefended where the enemy can enter” (The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers, M.F. Toal ed., vol. 3, 1959, 358).
It is striking, that right after the parable of the Pharisee and the Publican there follows the text where Jesus says “Let the little children come to me, do not try to stop them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Lk 18:16). Little children do not compare themselves to others, nor do they – for the most part – judge others. There is a simplicity to little children. Let us try to imitate this simplicity – also in the way we pray. The Book of Sirach reminds us that “the prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and it will not rest until it reaches its goal” (Sir 35:21-22).
Finally, St. Paul asks us to remember that a crown of righteousness awaits us. It is the Lord himself who will give us that crown. We do not reach out for it, to crown ourselves. St. Paul was finishing his mission, his task to bring the Gospel of Christ to many nations. Humility is part and parcel of a good missionary strategy: it is much easier to accept the message of Christ from someone who does not regard others with contempt. We are made aware of the Church’s mission in the context of this Extraordinary Mission Month, which is now coming to a close.
As we recall the words ““[W]hoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted”, we also recall little children, and their receiving of the kingdom of God. Let us receive the message with simplicity, so that we can be empowered in our zeal for the faith. Amen.
(Fr. Pawel Ratajczak, OMI, Oct. 27, 2019)