Texts taken from the Missalette “On Your Word” September-October 2022

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)
2nd week, Psalter

FIRST READING

From the book of Sirach (Sir 35:15b-17, 20-22a)
The Lord is judge, and with him there is no partiality. He shows no partiality to the poor, but he hears the prayer of the oppressed. He does not disdain the plea of the orphan, nor the widow when she pours out her complaint. Whoever serves them is welcomed with favor; their prayer reaches to the clouds. The prayer of the poor pierces the clouds and does not rest until it reaches its goal; it will not desist until the Most High responds and renders judgment in favor of the righteous and restores justice. – The word of God.

Commentary on the first reading

The Lord is a just judge and shows no partiality. He does not act with bias, discriminate against the most disadvantaged, such as orphans and widows, close his eyes to the injustices and abuses of the powerful, but helps the poor and the weak. For him, showing no partiality means taking the side of those who acknowledge that they are poor. This is his justice! But attention: the poor person is not simply someone deprived of material goods, nor only someone deprived of personal rights and justice or marginalized by society. At the same time, the poor person is one who places their trust in the Most High and fully trusts in the Lord. Friendships, family ties, gifts, threats, high social status... count for nothing before him. The only condition that moves him is poverty, human need. The prayers of the poor pierce the clouds and do not stop until they reach the throne of God. When someone who has no merit to display before him, but expects everything from the Father's love, appears before him, they will receive from him, abundantly, mercy and forgiveness.

SECOND READING

From the second letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to Timothy (2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18)
My child, I am already being poured out as an offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, 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 me on that day - and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance with love. At my first defense, no one appeared on my behalf; 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 so I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. – The word of God.

Commentary on the second reading

Paul is imprisoned for the cause of Christ. He has been abandoned and betrayed. He senses death approaching and wants to die as he has lived. After making his entire life a continuous celebration, he wants to make his death a sacrificial offering of his own blood. This is what Jesus did to establish the new and eternal covenant before he died. Through this comparison, Paul suggests that his martyrdom glorifies God and has value for the salvation of humanity. Tireless, the Apostle continues to preach the Gospel. To the very end. And to the very end, he will be accompanied by the certainty that the Lord will continue to deliver him from every evil. This is the foundation of his faith. Paul is not thinking about getting out of prison; he is speaking of a more radical liberation. When he passes from this world to the Father, he will be truly and definitively free. He will remain with Christ forever, entering his eternal kingdom. He has no doubts about the final victory. This presentation should serve as encouragement to Christians who, like him, testify to the Gospel amid the sufferings and contradictions of this world.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Luke (Lk 18:9-14)
At that time, Jesus told this parable to some who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else: «Two men went up to the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus to himself: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity - greedy, unjust, 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.» – The Gospel of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel of the day

How should we pray to God? The answer is given to us in this parable, which is not presented as a comparison, but as an example to imitate on one hand and avoid on the other. Two men go up to the temple to pray. One, a Pharisee, leads an outwardly impeccable life: he observes the law scrupulously, considers himself righteous, and despises others. The other, the tax collector, acknowledges that he is a sinner: he knows he needs forgiveness and humbly asks for it. Both need to be forgiven, but Jesus declares that only the tax collector is justified, because he acknowledges that he is a sinner. How easily we too, even today, make comparisons and feel superior to others, judging based on appearances! We consider ourselves righteous because we do some good deeds and feel secure in ourselves, convinced that at most we need to have “certain small mistakes” forgiven. It is not so! Our entire life, immersed in a world of injustice and disorder, needs to be saved by God. There is only one path to follow: acknowledge the existence of sin in our lives and humbly ask God to free us from it.