Fr Jack SJ MD: Pray Always: Homily for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sir 35:12-14, 16-18

Ps 34:2-3,17-18-19, 23

2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18

Lk 18:9-14

Each of the readings and the psalm for today's Mass could be the basis for a homily. There is an overabundance of riches upon which to meditate.

As was true of last Sunday's parable about the woman and the unjust judge, the parable of the Pharisee and the publican in the Temple, is found only in Luke's Gospel. Both parables are about prayer. Last week was about the need to pray without ceasing. Today are told how to pray and how not to pray. This example is confirmed in the first reading from Sirach.

Sirach is a unique book. Though written in Hebrew before Jesus' birth it was translated into Greek by the author's grandson. It was known only in Greek until the early twentieth century.

Also known as Ecclesiasticus, Sirach is not part of the Hebrew Scripture. Protestants do not recognize it as authoritative. However, Roman Catholics and Orthodox do hold Sirach as canonical. The non-acceptance of Sirach by the Protestant Church is a pity. Sirach, like the rest of the wisdom literature, is relevant to our lives in the present. It is very much worth reading in its entirety.

Like the Gospel, the reading from Sirach is a commentary on prayer. Both readings depend on stereotypes to make their points. That brings up the question, what is a stereotype?

A stereotype is a general statement applied to a group whose members share a particular characteristic or set of characteristics. Stereotypes may be used to judge and classify others negatively or to set some groups apart as unique. Today, it seems that stereotypes are condemned without thinking as biased, discriminatory, unfair . . . pick the negative word and fill in the blank.

The problem with condemning stereotypes is that all stereotypes contain an element of truth. One writer defined stereotypes as statistics in narrative form. All statistics have a degree of truth and a degree of untruth or exceptions when applied to individuals.

Unfortunately, all statistics, from those used in medical research to those describing global warming, to those applied to people, can be easily manipulated or distorted in order to push an agenda or prove a point that is not necessarily true. For example, a common stereotype holds that Asian men have straight black hair and are shorter than the average American man. Statistically this is true. If I had a projector I would show a slide from my ordination. Statistically, at 5’10” (it was 5’ 11” 15 years ago!) I am an average height American man. In the photo I am standing next to Ignatius Hung Wan-liu, a Taiwanese Jesuit priest and long time friend. He does, in fact, have straight black hair,--he has great hair--but, at 6' 3" he was four inches taller than I was then. In Ignatius' case, the stereotypes applied to Asian men are only partially true.

Caution is necessary when dealing with both stereotypes or statistics but even in today’s culture of being offended by anything, stereotypes are always at least partially true.

Through repeated hearing and reading we stereotype figures in scripture as well. Were all Pharisees egotists?

No.

Were all publicans humble and self-aware?

No.

No stereotype holds true when applied to every individual. Thus the challenge in both readings.

Poverty, marginalization, and oppression do not automatically confer special virtue on any individual or group. Conversely, wealth, intelligence, and power are not the invariable marks of a sinner. I will leave it to you to consider the vicious stereotypes being hurled about as the elections approach.

The poor can be, and are, sinners on the same plane as the wealthiest. And the wealthy can be as virtuous and humble as the publican of the parable. How would we understand this parable if it was the tax-collector who had a case of inflated self-esteem while the Pharisee was humble?

In his commentary on this passage Luke Timothy Johnson warns that, 'The parable . . . invites internalization by all readers because it speaks to something deep within every human heart. The love of God can easily become a kind of idolatrous self-love. God's gifts can quickly be seized as possessions; . . . what was given by another can be turned into one's own accomplishment.” Prayer can also become a form of bragging. He concludes with: "Piety is not an unambiguous posture.'” That prayer can become bragging and that piety is not an unambiguous posture should be emblazoned above the main entrances of all theology schools.

The monastic literature contains frequent warnings about taking pride in one’s humility or boasting about one's prayer. It is a temptation we all face. Humility and arrogant pride are separated by a very thin line.

God's mercy does not depend on one's bank account or lack of bank account. God's mercy does not depend on being oppressed nor necessarily on being perceived as an oppressor, a term that has become very subjective as expressed in all the ‘isms’ and ‘ists’ thrown around like confetti today.

God's mercy is available to all those who seek it in prayer. In Luke’s gospel prayer is not simply an exercise of piety, it is faith in action. Prayer reveals who we are. Prayer reveals the nature our relationship with God. Prayer reveals our relationship with others. When we pray, we are to come before the Lord in sincerity and truth. In the Lord's light we are called to admit that we are sinners in desperate need of his mercy.

The psalm is consoling:

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The Lord redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him."

It is worth meditating on that for a bit today.

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Spent Monday through Friday at Cohasset as one of two directors for a retreat of diocesan priests. All went very well. One of the features of the priest retreats is Cinema Divina. We show a movie Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening. This year we showed "Father Stu" on Tuesday, "Chariots of Fire" on Wednesday" and "The Most Reluctant Convert" about C.S. Lewis (came out last year. I highly recommend). WAs able to tie the conferences into the movies. Weather was fantastic as is obvious from the photos.

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