The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 23, 2022
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October 21, 2022The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time – October 23, 2022
Sirach 35:17 The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal.
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4: 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to His heavenly kingdom.
Luke 18:13 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.”
Dear Parishioners and Friends,
The Gospel always stands in direct contrast with the way of the world. The world embraces what some might call the will to power. Based on a self-centered view, we are encouraged to see all things from the perspective of getting my way, asserting myself, pushing myself on others, gaining the most for me, me, me. In the end all is for me, me, me. Even God must be pushed aside since He gets in the way of me, myself, and I. I become my own God.
The Sacred Scripture points us in an entirely different direction. Study carefully the passages chosen for Mass this weekend. There is no arrogance to be found. As beloved children of God, humbly and obediently, we place ourselves in God’s hands. We know that we are not equal to God. We accept that so much in life is beyond our power to control. In spite of our best-efforts things don’t work out. There is rejection, misunderstanding, and apparent failure. Humans are often weak and sinful. We grow old and death takes even the strongest among us. Not even the richest and most famous can turn back the Day of Judgment. We are mortal.
The way of immortality is the humble path. The humble man or woman, we learn in the Book of Sirach, has the confidence that God hears and answers our prayers. Like St. Paul, as recorded in the letters to Timothy, we must learn that being an obedient servant of the Lord matters most. There is nothing to boast in except the Cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which St. Paul demonstrates. Love is the triumph and victory of the Cross! As his cruel death approaches there are no regrets, for Paul knows that he has fought the good fight, run the race, and above all kept the faith. He is given the Blessed Assurance that heaven will open its gates to welcome him.
Finally, the account of the tax collector brings home the Gospel. Remember this is a story told by Christ Himself. If we are proud, thinking that we are perfect, sinless, independent, with no need of a Savior, then we are in trouble. Only when we place all in the hands of God, and humbly accept His will do we begin to see things as God does. God chooses the weak and makes them strong in witnessing to Him. The Son of God, the building stone of the edifice, is rejected by the world so that all those rejected by the world may like Him become the building stones of a heavenly Kingdom without end. We witness heaven on earth in humble souls who have the sense to put God first in a trusting and loving faith. Only if we can cry out “O God, be merciful to me a sinner” do we have the hope that comes from saving grace.
Yours in the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Fr. Mark G. Mazza, Pastor
