A Contrite Spirit"

Today's Mass Readings

The great Catholic fiction writer, Flannery O’Connor wrote a short story entitled “Revelation” in which the main character, Mrs. Turpin, is a Southern white farmer who is basically a nice lady. She’s social, keeps up a nice appearance, and is well-respected. Yet, by way of the narrator, we get a glimpse into Mrs. Turpin’s head and at one point we see her reflecting:

“If it’s one thing I am… it’s grateful. When I think of all I could’ve been besides myself and what all I got, a little of everything, and a good disposition besides, I just feel like shouting, ‘Thank you, Jesus, for making everything the way that it is! It could’ve been different’” This reflection rings eerily similar to the Pharisee’s in today’s gospel: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity greedy, dishonest, adulterous or even like this tax collector” (Luke 18:11). We know that Jesus often criticized the Pharisees for their inability to see beyond outward appearances and the literal interpretation of the Mosaic law. Mrs. Turpin, too, appears pleasant, nice, and polite – observing all of the social mores – but turns out in the story to be racist, belittling, and narrow-sighted. In the story, Mrs. Turpin is hit with a book, significantly entitled Human Development, by the young woman Mary Grace who proceeds to call Mrs. Turpin “a warthog from hell.” This “revelation” leads Mrs. Turpin to reflect on how she can be both herself and a warthog from hell.

O’Connor’s story helps us to understand today’s gospel. Jesus is not instructing us to cease offering prayers of thanksgiving. Rather, He challenges us to acknowledge that we are sinful – that we are capable of great evil and have many shortcomings. At the same time we redeemed by Christ. St. Athanasius, a 4th century father of the Church, drawing on 2 Peter 1:4, said that the “Son of God became man so that we might become God.” We are in a real way sharers in the life of Christ; we are His brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of God. We are both a “warthogs from hell” and ourselves.

This realization of our sinfulness should drive us toward humility, approaching God with “a contrite spirit” for “a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn” (Ps 51:19). Let us approach one situation, one relationship, one encounter today with a more humble heart than usual.

- Tim Gabrielli