Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
What do you think of a $20,000 bathtub, built-in closets costing nearly $500,000, a $35,000 conference table, a $1.1 million in landscaped garden, a fitness room larger an apartment, and a personal chapel? What do you think of a $40+ million home renovation? And what if I told you that these were the expenses of the Bishop of Limburg, Germany? Bishop Tebartz-van Elst, now also known as the “Bishop of Bling,” was shown the door by Pope Francis this week. In complete contrast is today’s Psalm response: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”
For third week in a row, the readings are about prayer, faith and a God who hears the cry of the lowly. The week before last, I reflected on the reality and possibilities of healing; last week I focused on persistent prayer. Today, I want to talk merely about prayer, but from the perspective of poverty.
1) Prayer as a union. I have previously reflected on prayer as a relationship, and I have reflected on prayer as a life-style. Today, I want to talk about prayer as ‘a union,” as becoming one. Let me begin with the human experience of union. Among all the relationships that human beings have– mother and child, deep friendships, even organ or blood donor to a receiver – only the relationship between spouses is called a union. No other relationship matches the complete oneness of mind, body and life that a marital union accomplishes. My point is that not even the union of a husband and wife captures the union that prayer is. In marriage, there are two unique, equal, and mutually interdependent persons. In prayer too, there are two unique persons (God and me), but we are unequal partners (God is God and I am a creature), and the dependence is one sided (my existence is dependent on God but God’s existence is not dependent on me). But this inequality between God and me does not rob me of my dignity. The inequality is made up by the unconditional love, fidelity, mercy, kindness and graciousness of God.
Prayer happens when a completely dependent me and an unconditionally kind and gracious God become one (union). While I am on earth, every attempt I make in word and in deed to achieve this union is prayer. I said earlier that in a marital union, there are two persons who are unique, equal, and mutually interdependent. No so in our union with God. When I reach the end of my life, I should be ready to lose my identity, my life, my uniqueness, indeed my entire self in complete union with God. That day, there will no longer be me, but only God. That is when prayer is complete. That is perfect prayer.
2) Prayer is Poverty and Poverty is Prayer. Today’s Psalm response to the first reading is: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” Basing myself on this Psalm, I want to say that prayer is only prayer when it is the cry of a poor person. Today, first reading from Sirach says, “Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet God hears the cry of the oppressed.” In all of scripture, God is known as one who has a special love for the poor; and the reference is to the materially poor. Why does God have a soft corner for the poor? For the same reason that a parent pays more attention to a handicapped child than a self-sufficient child. A materially self-sufficient person has many avenues for help when life gets rough. But the poor person has nothing and nobody but God. Unlike a self-sufficient person, a poor person’s dependence on God is total. An example is Paul in today’s second reading. Paul was in prison when he wrote the letter to Timothy. He says, “At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me.” After giving his life for the gospel and the Christian communities, at his trial before the Roman authorities, not one person turned up in his defense. He has no one but God. He is poor.”
How does this apply to us and our prayer? The challenge we face as self-sufficient people is to internally become poor. In the gospel of Matthew, this is called poverty of spirit. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus contrasts the prayer of a self-sufficient person and the prayer of the tax-collector. The simple prayer, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner,” had more power in God’s presence than the prayer of the tax-collector, who had his fasting, tithing, ad righteousness to rely on. In other words, we must realize that when we stand before God, we are nothing and we are nobody. That is exactly what the tax collector expresses. If we are anything (children of God), it is only because God as made us do. If we are in the image and likeness of God, it is only because God made us so. If we are materially self- sufficient, it is only because God has made us to. If we are talented and good looking it is only because God has made us so. To be poor is to realize that everything, even our every breath is not ours. It is God’s. When we become this poor, then we are ready for prayer.
3) Prayer is also union with humanity. The gospel reading makes us aware of yet another reality – that genuine prayer is one that at the same time attains union with God and serves those in need. The Pharisee said in his prayer, “'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity….” His prayer has cut himself off from the rest of humanity. Genuine prayer, on the other hand, attains union not only with God but also strives for communion with humanity. The best prayer that I can point you to is the cross. Jesus’ three hours on the cross is the most genuine prayer. From the cross Jesus cried out, “Father into your hands I commend my spirit.” In this cry Jesus is ready for total union with God. Yes, he is in pain and he feels abandoned by God and his disciples. But as he hangs between heaven and earth, he has no one and nothing to depend on but God. On the other hand, the entire world, all of humanity depends on him. Human salvation, human redemption, human eternity now rests on him. If he can serve humanity at this moment, his prayer will become perfect. And then he utters those words on which entire human salvation rests, “Father, forgive them.” In those words, he offered his life for the sake of humanity’s reconciliation and communion with God. On the cross, Jesus did not cut himself off from humanity in disgust for their sins, but rather, he gave his life for their reconciliation and redemption. The cross is perfect prayer.
The cross can be our prayer as well. In fact, the cross is the prayer of the poorest of them all, Jesus Christ. We must unite our life with his in achieving union with God and service for those in need. This is genuine prayer.
Every Eucharist is a communion – union with God and union with the community. Till we leave this earth, the Eucharist is the most perfect prayer. Let then make this Eucharist our perfect prayer today.
- Fr. Satish Joseph