THE WORD
FIRST READING: Sir 35, 12-14.16-18
Give to the Most High as he has given to you,
generously, according to your means.
For he is a God who always repays
and will give back to you sevenfold.
But offer no bribes; these he does not accept!
He shows no partiality to the weak
but hears the grievance of the oppressed.
He does not forsake the cry of the orphan,
nor the widow when she pours out her complaint.
Do not the tears that stream down her cheek.
SECOND READING: 2 Tim 4,6-8.16-18
For I am already being poured out like a libation, and the time of my departure is at I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance. At my first defense no one appeared on my behalf, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the proclamation might be completed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
GOSPEL: Lk 18,9-14
Jesus then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. 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. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
IN OTHER WORDS
The Parish priest, inspired by the Gospel reading, was preaching about uprightness and the need to fight against corruption. The mayor of the town happened to be there. Throughout the whole sermon peoples’ eyes were maliciously turned towards him curious to see his reaction. After the
Mass those in his entourage related to others what he said: “Excellent sermon! Our padre cura was courageous indeed. He delivered a strong message against corrupt officials who are destroying our country. It’s a pity that Mr. XXX, my political opponent, was not there to hear that. He would have been converted!” His comment spread like a big joke; for many thought he was the one most in need of conversion.
The mayor according to the people’s judgment could have been the publican. During the time of Jesus the publicans were public servants in the service of foreign colonizers, the Romans. They were collecting taxes from the people which easily led to corruption. They were therefore categorized as traitors and treated as pagans because they did not observe God’s commandments.
A closer look at the Gospel shows that he could be identified with the Pharisee. The parable was addressed to whom? To those “convinced of their righteousness” and to those “who despise everyone else”! Unfortunately, perhaps unconsciously, so many people have become blind to their wrongdoings and to the bad consequences that they are in icting on others. It could be a defense mechanism to be “self-righteous”. The Pharisee was proud of how he was observing the commandments.
To be fair, he was doing more to what was required of the law. He went to the Temple regularly, he fasted twice a week instead of once a year and he gave10 % of his income instead of tithing only his harvest. But how about the way he treated others? For him the rest of humanity were “greedy, dishonest, adulterous,” or like the tax collector. The way you look at others dictates the way you treat them.
Despising others is a direct insult to God himself who considers all of us, without exception, his children. In fact God has a tender heart for those needing most of his fatherly love: the unloved, the unwanted, the marginalized, the disfigured, those condemned by society like the criminal crucified on Jesus’ side. No wonder Jesus showed his love and attention to the publican, usually a hated “public enemy”. His parable wanted to tell all those who thought that they were already condemned that they had a big chance to be pardoned. They could even be better than those who were esteemed to be the righteous ones.
The Pharisee could be you and me. The publican could be you and me too.
- Fr. Xene Sanchez, SVD | Congo, Africa
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience. The Word in other words 2016
