{"id":1937,"date":"2016-10-23T09:41:28","date_gmt":"2016-10-23T13:41:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=1937"},"modified":"2016-10-23T09:41:28","modified_gmt":"2016-10-23T13:41:28","slug":"30th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/30th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-c-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

30th<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C<\/a>
\nSirach 35:12-14, 16-18
\nPsalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
\n2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
\nLuke 18:9-14
\nOctober 23, 2016<\/p>\n

Today Jesus tells us about two people praying, a Pharisee and a tax collector.\u00a0 One becomes justified but not both.<\/p>\n

As we know, the Pharisee was one of the religious leaders of the time.\u00a0 As such, he knew what the Law said.\u00a0 He knew what he was supposed to do.<\/p>\n

He is the first to pray.\u00a0 He begins properly with, \u201cO God, I thank you,<\/em>\u201d but it might not seem much like prayer or thanksgiving to us.\u00a0 It seems like boasting.\u00a0 He\u2019s thankful that he isn\u2019t like the other people who are greedy, dishonest, or adulterous.\u00a0 He fasts twice a week and pays tithes.<\/p>\n

Everything he says to do or not do is good.\u00a0 It is what the Law prescribes.\u00a0 Yet, he is not justified.<\/p>\n

Then the tax collector comes in to pray.\u00a0 He has no grandiose words to say.\u00a0 He won\u2019t even look up.\u00a0 Instead, he beats his breast and prays, \u201cO God, be merciful to me a sinner<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 He knows he has sinned and that he is not worthy of God\u2019s love but he hands it all over to God\u2019s mercy.\u00a0\u00a0 For this he is justified.<\/p>\n

Now, I want to take a look at what Paul says today.\u00a0 Paul speaks of how he is \u201cpoured out like a libation<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0 He says, \u201cI have competed well, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.<\/em>\u201d\u00a0 Paul\u2019s words might be seen as resembling the Pharisee.<\/p>\n

Yet there is a difference.\u00a0 Does Paul talk about what he has done?\u00a0 Obviously the answer is yes but he also gives the credit to God when he says, \u201cBut the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul gives the credit to God.<\/p>\n

We know that pride is one of the seven deadly sins.\u00a0 When we are prideful, we take the credit ourselves and act like we don\u2019t need God.\u00a0 Opposite \u201cpride\u201d is \u201chumility.\u201d\u00a0 As much as \u201cpride\u201d is a sin, \u201chumility\u201d is a virtue.<\/p>\n

I think we get confused about what humility is.\u00a0 Some seem to think that since it is the opposite of pride that if we are humble, we don\u2019t talk about the good we do.<\/p>\n

Proper humility acknowledges the good we do and gives credit to God and anyone else who helps us.\u00a0 We need to pray for God to give us proper humility so we can rejoice in the good that is done and thank God for all his help.<\/p>\n

We pray in different ways.\u00a0 We can praise God in our prayers, thanking him for the help He has given us.<\/p>\n

We can ask God for help.\u00a0 This can be in guidance or for strength.\u00a0 It can be to pray for grace and healing.\u00a0 Included here is our prayers for our own needs as well as<\/em><\/strong> the needs of others.<\/p>\n

We can pray in different perspectives.\u00a0 We can pray quietly at home or we can pray together in Church as we celebrate the Mass.\u00a0 Either way, we might be looking for God to give us what we want.<\/p>\n

With this is mind, sometimes people feel like they don\u2019t get anything out of Mass so why come.\u00a0 What\u2019s in it for me?\u00a0 In thinking this way, we miss something.<\/p>\n

Praying at Mass isn\u2019t all about \u201cme.\u201d\u00a0 Are we strengthened by the Eucharist we receive?\u00a0 Absolutely, but praying at Mass isn\u2019t just about ourselves as individuals.\u00a0 Thinking that every time we come to Mass we should feel instantly better misses something.<\/p>\n

As we celebrate Mass, we come together as a community<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 We pray together<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Think of it this way.\u00a0 During this first half of Mass, our celebration focuses on God\u2019s Word from the Bible.\u00a0 This helps us<\/em><\/strong> to know how God is calling us to live.\u00a0 I want to emphasis \u201cus\u201d because God is not speaking to each of us individually <\/em>but rather as a community of believers.\u00a0 The Bible is not the story of one person.\u00a0 It is the story of God\u2019s people over thousands of years.\u00a0 We hear how God has cared for his people in the past and so we know He will continue to care for us today.<\/p>\n

Mass does strengthen us as individuals but not as isolated individuals.\u00a0 What we do at Mass is meant to help us realize that we are not alone.<\/p>\n

Occasionally, someone will say to me after Mass that they felt during the homily that I was speaking directly to them.\u00a0 Three comments here.<\/p>\n

First, I\u2019m glad to hear they were listening to what I said.<\/p>\n

Second, I\u2019m glad the homily was something they could relate to.\u00a0 That\u2019s the Holy Spirit guiding me to know what the people need to hear.\u00a0 I want to note that I said \u201cwhat the people<\/em><\/strong> need to hear\u201d not what the individual needs to hear.\u00a0 By this I mean whatever you are going through in your life, you should realize that you are probably not the only person going through it.\u00a0 So, as you pray for yourself, pray for everyone else who is going through the same thing.<\/p>\n

My third comment to the idea of the homily speaking to people is actually about when we might think the homily doesn\u2019t relate to us as an individual.\u00a0 Maybe it doesn\u2019t relate to you that week but pray that it does help someone.\u00a0 Pray that those who most need it, hear what God is saying to them.<\/p>\n

So, as we pray today, we pray not just for ourselves but for each other, that we all come together<\/em><\/strong> as God\u2019s people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18 Psalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 Luke 18:9-14 October 23, 2016 Today Jesus tells us about two people praying, a Pharisee and a tax collector.\u00a0 One becomes justified but not both. As we know, the Pharisee was one of the religious leaders …<\/p>\n

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