Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Reflecting on Luke 18:9-14
There’s something so freeing about facing our deep character flaws. Don’t we all relate to the publican, hesitating outside the Temple doors? Isn’t it healing to be filled with shame sometimes? There’s nothing more painful than seeing ourselves as others see us, but isn’t that where true conversion occurs?
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart—these, O God, you will not despise (Psalm 51:17).
I think that the Pharisee was putting on a show, pretending that his outward acts of piety put him on a higher rung than that of the filthy tax collector. I think he knew, in that hard place where truth lingers, that the humble publican was closer to the heart of God than he was.
How exhausting to keep up that pretense, and for whom? Certainly not the Almighty, who spoke through Isaiah to say, This is the one I will esteem: the one who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at my word (66:2).
I recently attended the most beautiful reunion of friends who ministered in the same parish years ago. Going from table to table, I was utterly uplifted to realize that these giants of my younger years haven’t let up one inch. Their lives still overflow with daily acts of kindness, and lifetime commitments to the good work they did so prodigiously over thirty years ago.
But you won’t hear any of that from them. It took listening to others talk about them to get the real picture. Ask any of them to tell you about the goodness of their lives, and they’ll be the first to tell you that they are unworthy servants.
What connections do you see between true humility and greatness?
Kathy McGovern ©2025