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2022-10-23 –30th Sunday ● ● Sirach 35:12-14 16-18 ● Psalm 34 ● 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18 ●● Luke 18:9-14 ● ● Title: Glory. Pharisee. Tax Collector
[__01__] [WCD] When
was the last time someone gave you a compliment? Do you recall how it made you
feel appreciated and recognized?
Just in case it has been a while, since your
last compliment, there is a day on the calendar to look forward to. I just read
this. There is something called “World Compliment Day”. March 1, 2023. Save the date. “World Compliment Day”.
“W.C.D.” is an effort based on
research and science behind “praise”. That being praised or being affirmed –
receiving a compliment – helps us to learn, to grow.
Yes, this is a psychological mindset
that has manufactured the artifact of a celebration. Sort
of like having a knee replacement – the replacement knee joint is manufactured…
but it does actually enable you to walk …it is based on who you areSo,
“World Compliment Day“ may sound artificial, but there could there be something
to learn here, something real.
[__02__] [Aquinas,
Glory 1-2, 1 Thess 5] In a
book about the real virtue of Love and the thoughts of St. Thomas Aquinas, the
author (Josef Pieper, Faith Hope Love, p. 186) writes this that what we are all hoping for is to be
GLORIFIED, to be PRAISED. (That may
sound it surprising or “unreal” but it
is true).
We come to church for glory of God,
but we also come to church and to pray in order to understand the meaning of
“praise’ and glory in our own lives and to gain the glory of eternal life. Achieving “glory” is the real supreme goal of
our lives.
The writer (Josef Pieper, Faith Hope Love, p. 186) observed this – which resonated with me – perhaps it resonates with you. There is hardly anything we want so ardently as to be
(1st)
praised or acknowledged;
(2nd)
helped or assisted.
And, if we deny our need for praise or
help, that does not just mean that we
are failing to observe “World Compliment Day”, but also that we are not quite
hearing the Gospel message either.
This is one thing we can learn very
well from small children, in that they – in real and true purity of heart
–accept praise and accept help. They accept being “glorified”. We – on the other hand – as young people or
young adults or grown-up’s we may reject compliments, turn away from praise or
deny our need for help either from God or neighbor.
Praise is our goal both in “life” and
beyond our earthly lives. We praise children even before they are born. We also
praise people after they die. In both of these cases, we are also praising God
for the gift of life.
Not all praise is mere flattery. St.
Paul writes to the Thessalonians: “Encourage one another and build one another
up … see that no one returns evil for evil, always seek what is good.” (1 Thessalonians
5:11, 15) We need praise and encouragement
to grow.
[__03__] [1st
2nd, P, TC - talk to
self]
There is a parable in the Gospel this Sunday about 2 people who go up to the
Temple to pray. They have 2 very different attitudes about being “glorified”.
The 1st–the Pharisee – he
thinks he is already glorified and praised and he is exalting himself
The 2nd person – the tax
collector – knows he is not yet glorified and he calls out to God begging for
mercy, for help, assistance. By humbling
himself, he is exalted.
The one who should know better – the Pharisee,
a religious leader – is striking out, falling behind and showing himself to be
very self-absorbed and unable and unwilling to turn his life over to God. (Pharisee
is falling behind as though he is “NY Yankees ” falling behind to the Astros in
MLB playoffs). This is stated quite explicitly in the text that the Pharisee is
described talking to himself rather than to God.
[__04__] [talk
to self, preoccupy, cnfszn, 51st ] Do
you ever do this, talk to yourself rather than talk to God? If so, I am glad
that I am not the only one walking around talking to himself!
If you see me talking to myself, it may indicate
that I am simply pre-occupied temporarily with something. You may talk to
yourself when you are temporarily pre-occupied, whether trying to remember a
password or find your keys, your computer malfunctioned.
Regardless of the reason for your self-pre-occupation,
you may be startled easily frightened when someone walks up right behind us
while we are so absorbed. We may not
even recognize that we are in a bubble of self-absorption.
The probability is fairly good that I
will be able to see the pride and arrogance in someone else more clearly or more quickly than I see it in
myself.
The reason that we have in Catholicism
– the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is to recognize that we need not
simply talk to ourselves about our sins. We can also talk to God. As we read in
the 51st psalm: “a humble contrite heart O God you will not
spurn.” The act of being contrite and
repentant reminds us to turn to God’s grace rather than to our own strength.
[__05__] [UCLA] There was once a famous college NCAA
basketball coach – in California at UCLA – who was known not only for
championships and slam dunks but also for the discipline and structure he
taught his players many of whom were superbly gifted. And, they were on the
road to “glory.”
His name was John Wooden – and one of
famous quotes is this –
“Talent
is god given. Be humble.
Fame
is man-given. Be grateful.
Conceit
is self-given. Be careful.”
In other words, all of us have gifts
and talents but we should neither boast about them nor conceal them. Just be
humble. And, if we can some recognition
or success, it’s OK to accept a compliment. Be grateful. But, also be aware that it’s possible to be
so pumped up or puffed in pride about ourselves..that we could become
conceited. Be careful.
He who humbles himself will be
exalted. He who exalts himself will be humbled.
[__END__]
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