Sir 35:12-14,16-18; Ps 34:2-3,17-18,19,23; 2Tim 4:6-8,16-18; Lk 18:9-14

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1 St. Thomas the Apostle Parish Pastor: Fr. John Lyons Adult Religious Education Preparing for Sunday Finding Intimacy with God, in everyday life October 27, th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C) Sir 35:12-14,16-18; Ps 34:2-3,17-18,19,23; 2Tim 4:6-8,16-18; Lk 18:9-14 Very Rev. Joseph A. Pellegrino Lord, may all that I am today, all that I try to do today, may all my encounters, reflections, even the frustrations and failings, all place my life in your hands. Lord, my life is in your hands. Please, let all my activities this day give you praise. 30th Sunday: The Lord Hears the Cry of the Abandoned Paul, the intense and dynamic fighter for the Lord, was left alone. He had returned to Jerusalem to consult with the twelve original apostles. He had gone to the Temple to pray. Then those who were fighting against this new Jewish sect now called Christians saw Paul and told the crowd that this is the man who is preaching blasphemy. They began beating him. Paul was rescued by the Romans. They had to carry him over the crowd to keep him alive. Paul was then brought before Claudius Lysias, the Roman Tribune. Ananias the high priest came to demand Paul's death. Forty of the Jews vowed to neither eat nor drink until Paul was put to death. And Paul was left all alone. This is what Paul is speaking of in today's second reading from the Second Letter to Timothy. "At my first defense no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." Alone and helpless Paul cried out for help and was heard. "The Lord hears the cry of the oppressed. He is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint. He who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, judges justly and affirms the right." That s from our first reading from the Book of Sirach. The orphan, the widow, the abandoned cry out to God. And he hears. And he responds. The tax collector in the parable in today s Gospel suffered from the loneliness caused by his sins. That is what sin does, you know. It causes us to be alone in the mud of our lives, like the Prodigal Son, alone in the slop of the pigsty. But back to the tax collector. He worked for Rome, collecting money from his own people. He was a thief, demanding from the Jews more than the Romans would demand he return to them. He used the Roman guards as his means of enforcing his arbitrary decisions. The tax collector had many things. He was rich. But he was alone. He had no friends other than other tax collectors, people as despicable as he was. His own countrymen hated him. His family was embarrassed by his wealth and probably wanted nothing to do with him. He hated

2 himself. Surely God must hate him. So he slipped into the Temple and sincerely sought God's forgiveness. And God heard the cries of this abandoned one. Now the Pharisee comes to the Temple, not to cry out for help, but to remind God of his goodness. He fasts. He pays tithes. He reminds God that he is not like so many others who are grasping and crooked and adulterous. The Pharisee has no sense of dependence on God. He is so full of himself that he doesn't recognize his own emptiness. He does not have enough sense to ask God to help him be a better person. He thinks he has everything. He leaves the Temple with nothing. The Pharisee sinned because he did not recognize his dependence on God. Paul in the second reading, the orphan and widow in the first reading, the tax collector in the parable, all are alone; Paul due to others lacking courage to support him in court, the widow and orphan due to the sad events of life, and the tax collector suffering the isolation caused by his sins. They recognized their need for God. They ask God to fill their emptiness. They are justified, raised up to God by his gratuitous mercy. And so we come to Church today seeking God s Presence to fill our emptiness. We recognize how our sins have left us isolated in our worlds. We have lost close friends because we have not been able to control our tongues. We have destroyed relationships when we have allowed fantasy to be confused with reality. We have not loved as we could love because we have tried loving ourselves instead of others. As a result there are times that we don't even like ourselves, let alone love ourselves. So we come before the Lord, alone, abandoned by some whom we love, perhaps abandoned by our own self esteem. And we ask the Lord to hear our cries. Or perhaps we have done our best to serve God, to live as committed Catholics and, as a result, we have lost friends. We stay away from the parties and people who would destroy our essence, our spiritual life. This has cost us. We are laughed at, scorned, avoided and excluded by the so-called in crowd, the popular kids at school, at work or in the neighborhood. We come to Church today, and we ask the Lord to hear our cries. And He does hear us. And He responds with the greatest gift there is. He calls to us on the cross and asks, "Do you think that you are the first person to feel abandoned?" He responds with His Presence. He tells us to believe that He is with us, Emmanuel, God with his people. He fills up our emptiness. He helps us to love others by helping us see His presence in them. He helps us to love ourselves by helping us see the capacity we have to reflect His Image to the world. He gives our lives meaning. We are not alone. We have the Lord, and He has us. He is with each of us as individuals, and all of us as His family. Yes, we know the abandonment that our sins have caused, but we are filled with the Divine Presence among us and within us. We are hungry, and here we are fed. Our prayer today is the Pilgrim's prayer, the Jesus prayer, "Lord Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner. Lord Jesus, Have mercy on me a sinner. Lord Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner." And throughout the pilgrimage of our lives, we cry out, "I am not worthy to be in your presence Lord, but I need you too much to leave." The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal. This material is used with permission of its author, Rev. Joseph A. Pellegrino, Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL

3 30 th Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle C The information and commentary presented each week on this page are notes for the Wednesday Scripture Class held at St Charles Borromeo 1000 Goodyear Blvd Picayune, MS Rev Mike Snyder, Pastor. These notes are not intended to be used in isolation but as background information for the readings and starting points for group discussion. Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage. 1st Reading - Sirach 35:12-14, Jesus Ben Sirach, the wise and perceptive scribe of Jerusalem, writes movingly of the chief loves of his life: the Law and the Temple liturgy. He also shows a touching devotion to the great figures of Israel s past. He gives us a pithy collection of reflections, mostly on worldly wisdom, good behavior, tact and good sense. But he insists that Wisdom comes from God, mediated through the Law. He always has death, the moment of reckoning, before his eyes, though he gives no clear teaching about the after-life or what the reward for good works will be. The Wisdom of Ben Sirach was originally written in Hebrew, but, as the forward says, it was translated into Greek by the author s grandson in 132 B.C. Jesus Ben Sirach wrote about B.C. Sirach is the only book of Holy Scripture which contains a forward (which is not considered inspired). 12 For he is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. 13 Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed. The poor and powerless enjoy a special love and concern of the Lord. 14 He is not deaf to the wail of the orphan, nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint; God hears the cry of the poor, the orphan, the widows Bthese are privileged characters in the Bible (see Exodus 22:21-23, Deuteronomy 24:17-18; Proverbs 23: He who serves God willingly is heard; Willingly is the key word service because of duty, obligation, or habit is not sufficient it must be willing service. his petition reaches the heavens. 17 The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal, 18 Nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds, It is the prayer of the lowly, the humble. judges justly and affirms the right.

4 2nd Reading - 2 Timothy 4:6-8, Today we wind up our study of 2nd Timothy as we hear Paul s closing remarks. Recall that this letter is written as instruction and encouragement to Timothy, whom Paul installed as Bishop of Ephesus. Timothy has been having difficulties with false teachers and Paul provides pastoral guidance while he himself is held prisoner in Rome. This letter is believed to have been written in A.D. 67 with Paul being martyred in A.D. 67 or 68. The place of his martyrdom in local Roman tradition is the site of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Since he was a Roman citizen, the mode of execution according to the same tradition was decapitation 6 For I am already being poured out like a libation, A libation is a sacrificial rite in which a liquid (usually wine or oil) was poured out on the altar. and the time of my departure is at hand. Paul s death is near at hand. He is handing on his legacy to Timothy and other future leaders. 7 I have competed well; I have finished the race; Paul s letters are full of athletic imagery: races, fights, etc. These images are used to exhort the reader to keep his attention focused on the prize which goes to the winner; the victor s crown which is awarded by the chief judge. I have kept the faith. Paul has preserved and guarded the deposit of faith. 8 From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, The parousia, the day of judgment and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. All who out of love for Christ have lived a Christian life as a preparation for their appearance at the judgment. 16 At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. It is possible that Paul is referring to his Roman house arrest, but more likely he alludes to a first hearing in his present trial. Story has it that the apostle, after defending himself, was again sent upon the ministry of preaching and coming a second time to the same city met death by martyrdom under Nero. While he was being held in prison, he composed the second epistle to Timothy, at the same time indicating that his first defense had taken place and that martyrdom was at hand. [Eusebius Pamphilus of Caesarea (between A.D ), History of the Church 2,22] May it not be held against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so 4

5 that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. Assuming that the first hearing was at his present trial, Paul was successful in preaching the Gospel before the judges and all those present for the occasion. And I was rescued from the lion s mouth. A biblical image (Psalm 22:21; Daniel 6:22). 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat Paul is not referring to release from his present imprisonment, he will be rescued for the heavenly kingdom. and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Gospel - Luke 18:9-14 As we proceed from our gospel reading last week which presented Jesus first parable on prayer, we now hear the second parable on prayer. Recall that the question has often been put to Jesus When and how will the end come? Jesus answer is always that we are to persevere in prayer and humility. These two parables (the one we heard last week and this one) appear only in Luke and in this one we are reminded that our virtuous works what we are proud of will not earn us entrance into God s kingdom. 9 He [Jesus] then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. 10 Two people went up to the temple area to pray; The hours of prayer were 9 A.M. and 3 P.M. one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisees were completely just before the Law, that is why they had such confidence in themselves. Tax collectors were always considered to be sinners. 11 The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity greedy, dishonest, adulterous or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income. The Pharisee carefully spells out why he is just, just in case God hadn t noticed. 13 But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast A sign of repentance and mourning and prayed, O God, be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, the latter went home 5

6 justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. The tax collector is forgiven of his sins because of his humble repentance. He has recognized his need of God s mercy and has shown sorrow for his sins. The Pharisee, however, does not need God s justification because he has justified himself (once saved, always saved?). St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS [C] Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Hans Urs von Balthasar 1. "God be merciful to me, a sinner." The Gospel of the two men praying in the temple, the Pharisee and the tax collector, reveals to what kind of prayer penetrates to God. We notice a difference even in their respective postures. The one stands "with unbowed head" as if the temple belongs to him, while the other "keeps his distance", as if he has crossed the threshold of a house in which he really does not belong. The first one prays "to himself'' really not even praying to God but reviewing for himself the list of his virtues, assuming that, when God himself notices them, he will respect them and marvel at them. Moreover, this man catalogues his virtues as a means of setting himself off from "other men", none of whom have attained his level of perfection. He is traveling the road of "self-discovery", which is precisely the path of "loss of God". The other man can only discover sin in himself, can only find himself devoid of God, which, as he pleads, "be merciful to me", turns into an empty place for God to occupy. No one whose ultimate goal is his own perfection will ever find God. Anyone who has the humility to permit God's perfection to take effect in his emptiness-not by being passive but by working with the talent he gives him-will be considered a "justified" person in the sight of God. 2. "Whoever serves God willingly will be heard. " The first reading confirms this. "The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds", although we must remember that "lowly" or "poor" here does not mean someone who lacks money, rather, someone poor in virtues, someone who knows he does not meet God's standard. Yet recognizing this void alone is not enough, rather, the text clearly says, "Whoever serves God willingly will be heard." This is service undertaken with the humility characteristic of a "useless servant" (cf Lk 17:10), but not with the passive waiting of the "lazy servant" who buries his talent. One serves by employing the talent the Lord has given him, which is truly entrusted to him, to make it yield fruit for the Lord. God, the "just judge" will "do right by" this sort of poor man. 3. "That is how I was saved from the lion's jaws." In the second reading we find Paul in prison and in court. He is the poor man whose case does not look hopeful from an earthly standpoint. He is close to death and yet, he "has fought the good fight", not only while he was free, but even in his present poverty, abandoned by all during his court hearing. Yet his lonely self-defense before the court becomes precisely his final, decisive "proclamation" of the gospel for "all the nations to hear". By honoring only God (like the tax collector in the temple), he will be "rescued" by the Lord and "brought safely into his heavenly kingdom". The tax collector was "justified", Paul receives "the crown of righteousness"-a crown made up not of his own righteousness." as he never tires of repeating, but of God's. F r o m L i g h t o f t h e W o r d b y H U v o n B a l t h a s a r 1993, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, Used with Permission, All Rights Reserved 6

7 Father Phillip Bloom Posture at Mass (Homily for Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C) Bottom line: When we attend Mass we take the posture of the tax collector - we accept our responsibility for failings and recognize who we are and who God is. Today s Gospel - together with the past two Sundays - form a trilogy on prayer, especially the greatest prayer: the sacrifice of the Mass. Two weeks ago the Gospel focused on thanksgiving. Jesus praised the Samaritan leper because he returned to express thanks. In Greek, to thank someone is "eucharist." The Mass, the "Eucharist" is the great prayer of gratitude to the Giver of all good gifts. Last Sunday we heard about another aspect of prayer: persistence, not growing weary, but keeping at it. Persistence also applies to the Mass. If the Mass is the highest form of prayer, we must keep at it - weekly or even daily. Today s Gospel speaks about our posture at Mass. I am not talking about kneeling, standing and sitting. I am talking about a much deeper posture. We see it in the tax collector. He acknowledged who God is - and the distance between him and God. And he accepted responsibility for his own failings, "O, God, be merciful to me, a sinner." We do not come to Mass to tell God how great we are. The Pharisee did that - and we do have to admit that he was a very good man. Yet he did not go home justified, whereas the tax collector did. The tax collector had the right posture before God. The prayers of the Mass can help us attain that posture. We begin Mass by calling to mind our sins. It does not have be a detailed examination of conscience, but a simple recognition of the truth. And the truth is this: I have blown it. I have fallen on my face. Maybe it happened this very week. Maybe it happened some time ago and I am still living with the consequences. As my dad would say, "You have no one to blame but yourself." And so we say, "Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord have mercy. That was the posture of the tax collector. We begin Mass with that posture and it sets the tone for rest of the Mass. The readings, if we listen carefully, always call us to some change, what the Bible calls "repentance." The Prayers of the Faithful express our need for God. During the Eucharistic Prayer we kneel. Kneeling expresses receptivity. St. Paul says that he kneels before God the Father from who every blessing comes. Before Communion we say, "Lord, I am not worthy." Who is? Only a Pharisee would think he deserves to receive something so incredible - the Body and Blood of Jesus. About a year ago we were given a revised translation of the Mass prayers. I believe this new translation helps us have the correct posture during Mass. The translation we had was done at time when we wanted to emphasize our dignity as sons and daughters of God. That is true and necessary, but we also have to admit that we are children who have fallen short of what the Father had in mind for us. The new translation brings out more clearly what our actual 7

8 situation is before God. Like the tax collector, we say in simple and direct words that we have fallen short. "O, God, have mercy on me a sinner." There is a huge gap between what God wants of me and what I actually am. This was brought home to me dramatically during my visit to Peru. I had the opportunity to concelebrate Mass with a zealous young priest. At the end of the Mass, he asked the people to pray for him and other priests that we would be holy priests. Then he added, "If I fall into hell, I will not go alone. Many of you will go with me. But if I go to heaven, I will bring you with me." That young priest s words made me think about the responsibility we have for each other. In his book, "Developing the Leader Within You," John Maxwell cites a sociological study that indicates that even the most introverted person significantly influences over a thousand people in the course of his life. A priest has the possibility of deeply influencing thousands of people - for better or for worse. That is why it is so important to avoid complacency. We can easily start thinking like the Pharisee - I have it all together, I have no need for improvement. Rather, we must take the posture of the tax collector. He recognized he had large areas for improvement. Like him we want to see who God is and who we are - to acknowledge that all good gifts come from God. To sum up: 1) The Mass is the great prayer of thanksgiving. 2) That prayer requires persistence - daily personal prayer and the Eucharist at least every Sunday. 3) And when we attend Mass we take the posture of the tax collector - we accept our responsibility for failings and recognize who we are and who God is. Amen. Father Phillip Bloom is Pastor of St. Mary of the Valley St. Mary of the Valley Catholic Church Monroe, WA. All Rights Reserved. 30 th Sunday of the Year Leo Edgar O.P. Out of Step? Doesn't it seem strange how incredibly frustrating 'virtuous' people can be? In reality, of course, it is not their virtue that frustrates us, but rather their self-satisfaction at being so virtuous, their feeling of superiority over the rest of mankind! Perhaps there is also an element of our own inadequacy which we are not always willing to admit. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus addresses his remarks to 'people who prided themselves on being virtuous and despised everyone else'! There doesn't seem to be much point in feeling virtuous if, at the same time, you are despising, (or 'are contemptuous of', in Nicholas King's translation) the rest of mankind. More than that, those who feel so virtuous, perhaps, are failing to notice their own human shortcomings and sinfulness, thereby neglecting the need for God's forgiveness. We can become blinkered by our own self-righteousness, failing, very often, to see the good in others. The tax collector, on the other hand, simply turns to God for mercy and forgiveness, recognizing his own sinfulness. 8

9 This gospel passage reminds me of the story of a little girl who was having dancing lessons, accompanied by her mother. The mother very proudly proclaimed to a person nearby, 'That's my daughter - and she's the only one dancing in step!' Sometimes we can be under the illusion that we are better than others or, even worse, that we are the only ones who are virtuous - the only ones really in step. Christians in our society are more and more being made to feel that they are out of step with the rest of the world. Our moral, social teaching on issues like abortion, euthanasia, social justice etc., can indeed set us apart. So should we merely be like the tax collector and stand back, declaring our unworthiness? Surely not! But equally we should beware of too much self-satisfaction in our lives, even in our own teaching and preaching. The preacher may sometimes come across to his hearers as appearing to be morally superior. Most of us like to think of ourselves as being righteous; but Jesus, in the paragraph prior to the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, asks of his hearers the question 'When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?' This continues to be a serious question and one that needs to be addressed in our own time. It is not sufficient, like the Pharisee, just to 'accommodate' God by turning up at the church, or synagogue or temple, fulfilling the ritual, outwardly performing the prayers, but inwardly lacking the faith and simplicity of the child. What Jesus also tells us in this part of Luke's gospel is that 'whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child' will never enter it'. And so we learn from Christ's teaching that there are two essential elements required, faith and humility - childlike; for which child is so lacking in faith and trust that a natural humility does not derive from that? 'I give you thanks, Lord, that I am not like the rest of humanity';... this Pharisee's prayer is one that I, hopefully, may never feel called to say. But just in case I do, let me recall that I would be beginning to sound like the mother in the story, so I guess it's time to stop praying and start believing! The English Province of the Order of Preachers 2013 Used with permission All Rights Reserved Fr. John Riccardo God Gives Grace for the Moment Our readings this morning, together with our recent experience on pilgrimage in Poland, have served to confirm in me what I think I is a truth that I have gradually come to understand about God. It is a truth, I think, that is not only important and reassuring for us to keep in mind for ourselves, but also one that we are called to bear witness to in the world. The truth, simply put, is this: God gives grace for the moment. A negative way perhaps of saying this would be something like this: God doesn t give the grace in advance for a situation, especially a 9

10 difficult and painful situation. Examples would probably be helpful for this. How many times have you heard about a very difficult situation happening in a friend s life and you ve said, either to yourself or out loud, If that ever happened to me I don t know how I d make it? I ve said that many times! But not anymore. What I ve come to see, both in my own life, in my experience of walking with others in tough times, and from the Word of God, is that when any situation comes our way, God will provide the grace for that situation at that moment but not before. That s why we honestly can t understand how someone is making it through a painful or trying time they re in the midst of, because they re in it and we re not, and God is giving them the strength for it, whereas we try to imagine how we d do it on our own. The Scriptures tell us today, God tells us today that He hears the cry of the poor, He is close to the brokenhearted, that those whose spirit is crushed He saves, and that He stands by us at all times and gives us strength. These are not just words; they re truths God does not lie. He is always faithful to His promises and these things He promises. It s important to know that St. Paul in our Second Reading, is writing to his friend Timothy from prison. And as he writes, he is soon to be beheaded because of his witness to Jesus. And he knows it. His words are not naïve or Pollyannaish. He is being and has been much of his life, in his words, poured out as a libation, that is, he s like a glass of water poured out onto the ground, with every last drop gone. He is entirely spent, wrung out, exhausted. He has been in this painful experience abandoned by his friends. And yet he has no bitterness towards them and tells Timothy and us that he is not really alone, for the Lord has stood by him and given him strength. St. Paul is a testimony to the truth that God gives grace for the moment. When we were in Poland, among the many moving experiences, Auschwitz was certainly one of the most moving. Though I was there once before almost 23 years ago, it was every bit as powerful a second time, and again I was particularly struck by the witness of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest who, like Paul, was imprisoned for his faith. Kolbe was taken to Auschwitz in 1941 and endured horrific beatings and abuse by the Nazi guards for many months. As I ve mentioned I think before, but for those who don t know, Kolbe volunteered to take the place of a man who was randomly chosen by the SS commandant to die in reprisal for a prisoner who had escaped. The man whose life he saved went on to survive the horror of Auschwitz and was reunited with his wife and family after the war and was present in St. Peter s Square in 1982 the day Pope John Paul II canonized the man who saved his life. Kolbe, together with nine other prisoners, was thrown into a small, concrete cell, where they were condemned to die by starvation and dehydration. And yet in this place of condemnation, this taste of hell on earth, Kolbe led the others in prayer and even in singing of hymns, until finally, after nearly two weeks, the Nazis got so annoyed by his singing and the sounds of hope arising from the cell that they killed him by a lethal injection. St. Maximilian Kolbe stands as a testimony to the truth that God gives grace for the moment. Now, Paul and Kolbe might be extreme examples and please God we will not be tried as they were, but they prove powerfully, precisely as extreme examples, that God does stand by us at all times, that He gives us strength, that there is grace at hand for us at the time when we need it. This is good news! This is especially good news for the family I m thinking of whose husband and father is in the hospital right now, fighting for his life after a bone marrow transplant, and the couple I know whose unborn child has been diagnosed with a very rare and serious birth defect, and the man I met with not too long ago whose marriage is in shambles. Though the situations they, and all of us are undergoing in our own way, are real and difficult and trying, they are not alone; you are not alone, I am not alone. God is faithful. He hears the cry of the poor. He is close to the brokenhearted. He redeems the lives of His 10

11 servants. No one no one who trusts in Him will be put to shame. He gives us what we need for whatever situation we find ourselves in. May we experience this truth today, may we thank God for it, and may we be eager to demonstrate it and bear witness to it to others. Fr. John Riccardo, Pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Plymouth, MI 11