30th SUNDAY IN
ORDINARY TIME
‘The prayer of the humble man
pierces the clouds’
The two men in today’s parable are worlds
apart. The Pharisee was the model citizen, a
pillar of society, law-abiding, upright, one of
the ‘spiritual elite’. The Tax Collector on the
other hand was despised by all, seen as corrupt,
untrustworthy, the one to be avoided. When
they come to the Temple to pray God ignores
the externals and looks to the heart. The Pharisee
is self-centred and arrogant, and there is nothing
more irreligious than self-absorbed religion. He
is actually praying to himself. The Tax Collector
gets it right. He comes before God humble and
repentant and his prayer is heard. ‘The prayer of
the humble man pierces the clouds’. A parable
then of two men, two prayers, two attitudes, two
verdicts! One man came to brag; the other came
to pray. The message is clear. No person who is
proud can pray. No person who despises a fellow
human being can pray. True prayer is centred
on God. True prayer draws us into the mind
of God. True prayer emerges from the humble
heart. ‘Before a humble heart God opens His
heart totally.’ (Pope Francis).