Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
When I first started to take my relationship with God seriously, I found spending quite time in prayer very satisfying. I would look forward to taking more time to be with God in prayer. Ironically though, one of the effects of my prayer in its initial stages was also pride. My prayer was beginning to give me a sense of superiority over those in the seminary that did not take the time to pray or were struggling in prayer. I found myself becoming judgemental in this regard. I found some satisfaction in finding myself to be better than others. Things got even worse before they got better. I very briefly reached a stage when I would feel unhappy to see particular seminarians pray, the ones I found it difficult to get along with. It was as if I was losing my spiritual superiority over them. It took me some time to discover that all those times that I thought I was in prayer, like the Pharisee in today’s gospel reading, I was deluding myself.
Today’s readings continue the theme of prayer. The best way for me to further clarify the theme would be to say that, if last Sunday’s theme was about how to pray, this week’s theme is “How NOT to pray.” For example, the gospel reading contrasts the prayer of the Pharisee with that of the tax-collector. The tables are turned in this parable. The (self) righteous person’s prayer finds no place in God’s eyes, whereas, the sinner goes home justified. Jesus gives us the reason for this reversal of fortunes in the words, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted." If we try to understand the first reading in this context, the message is even clearer. Sirach says, God “hears the prayer of the poor.” (Sir 35:13) “The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds…” (Sir 35:17). I think that the readings are telling us that prayer should transform us into the image in which God wants us. I think the readings are telling us that prayer is not so much an activity as much as it a way of “being” in the presence of God.
My three practical implication are about how NOT to pray.
1) Certainly, today’s gospel passage is an indication on how not to pray. Why was the prayer of the Pharisee rejected? It seems to me that the main reason for the rejection was the kind of person he had become. The Pharisee’s justification came not from God but from his own actions. The focus of his prayer is not God, but rather, his own fasting and tithing. The problem with his prayer is that it does not express his need for God. His prayer is not indication of a loving relationship with God. His prayer is devoid of his need for redemption. His prayer is a tool for self-righteousness. The tax-collector, on the other hand, is acutely aware of his inadequacy. He is aware of his dependence on God. His righteousness and justification comes from God’s benevolence rather than his actions. The practical implication of this parable is that prayer is first of all about ‘being.’ We must ‘be’ humble; we must allow God to ‘be’ God in our lives.
2) Here is another “How NOT to pray.” The problem with the Pharisee in today’s gospel reading is that he expressed before God how he was unlike the rest of humanity. The Pharisee was bent on emphasising his independence from the community, his ability to stand on his own. If on the contrary he had identified with community, he would have found himself carrying the burden of his community. Rather, in all of scripture, there is an integral relationship between prayer and community. The Old Testament context of prayer is always the community. The most well known example in the New Testament that comes to my mind is Jesus teaching his disciples that when they come to the altar and they remember that another person has something against them, they must first reconcile before they can offer their gifts (Mt 5:23-24). When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, he did teach them to say, “my” Father but rather “our” Father. I think the readings are telling us that even in our most private prayer we can never come as solitary beings. When we come before God in prayer, we bring before God not just our own self but rather the whole world, every person in it, indeed all of creation. We come with the sins of other, the pains they carry, and the joys they experience. Prayer can never become a tool for spiritual pride when we pray as a community.
3) Over the last two weeks, I have stressed all too much the importance of prayer as “being” in the presence of God. As I look back, I realize that it is possible that I may have given the impression that petitions or making our needs known to God is either irrelevant or unnecessary. If I did do that, today’s first reading offers a corrective. As Sirach says “He (God) hears the cry of the oppressed. The one 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….” (Sir 35: 12-17). In other words, our primary and ultimate confidence must rest in a God who provides for our need. With less confidence in ourselves and with intense confidence in God, let us never hesitate to raise our need to God. However, here is the third “How NOT to pray.” Ask yourself this question: “Is there any desire, including your desire to live, which is greater than your desire for God?” Yes, let us confidently bring our needs before God keeping in mind that our greatest desire must be for God.
As I conclude this homily, I would like once more to turn our focus to the cross and to the altar. Jesus on the cross is the most perfect example of the prayer of a lowly person. His prayer on the cross is without pride, self-righteousness, anger, and self-dependence. His prayer is offered on behalf of all of humanity. I would like this Eucharist to be our prayer. But let is be like the prayer of Jesus. Let us rid ourselves of pride, anger, prejudice, self-righteousness and self-dependence. Rather, let our prayer be an expression of our faith in God’s love for us, our love for God and humanity. Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph