Trusting humility: The prayer that pleases the Lord.
October 27 2019: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - C
An Igbo proverb says, “The voice that comes to borrow is
more humble than the voice that comes to sake payment.” In prayer we are like
people coming to borrow God’s graces and forgiveness. We should thus, be the humblest.
Humility actually is a very rare virtue. In each one of us
there is a kind of pride pushing us to show up in all the possible way. We do
all things to be seen. We will like others to notice our presence. We fear not
being acknowledged. What we forget is that we are made of ‘Humus’, that is, of
nothing and that we will return to that ‘humus’. When it comes to our relation
with God, we need more that sense of humility. For, says the Lord, “all those
who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be
exalted.” (Luke 14:11)
Humility is the key and the secret of the finest prayer. To
those who know how to be humble, the Lord himself guides them “in what is right
and teaches them his way” (Psalm 25:9). Because, humility is the way of God and
the way to God.
Last week we were invited to pray constantly, to be of holy
stubbornness in our relation with God. That resilience, however, does not go
without a great sense of humility. Many times, many people express some kind of
arrogance and so much pride in their prayer. Some think of being so righteous
that, when praying, they only make a list of their achievements. Filled with
the poison of self-righteousness, we sometimes forget that we are addressing
the one who knows and sees everything, even before we come to present them to
him.
Today’s liturgy comes as a reminder, teaching us that we
should be humble, even in our prayers. God, actually needs not a litany of what
we able to do or did, but the sincerity of our heart to acknowledge our
nothingness and our inner need of his mercy.
Speaking of prayer of petition, the Catechism of the
Catholic Church states, “The first movement of the prayer of petition is asking
forgiveness, like the tax collector in the parable: "God, be merciful to
me a sinner!" It is a prerequisite for righteous and pure prayer. A
trusting humility brings us back into the light of communion between the Father
and his Son Jesus Christ and with one another, so that "we receive from
him whatever we ask." Asking forgiveness is the prerequisite for both the
Eucharistic liturgy and personal prayer.” (CCC. 2631)
The word of God, today, teaches us about the prayer which pleases
to the Lord. in the first reading, Sirach claims, “The prayer of the lowly
pierces the clouds...” The prayer of the humble does not go unheard. As Sirach said
starting, God makes no favoritism in hearing and answering our petitions. Nevertheless,
when we come to him, filled with ourselves, he finds no space in us where to
add his graces. going to the Lord, we are like glasses opened towards him. It is
only in an empty glass that one can put something. God is not deaf to our
tears, neither is he blind to our deeds. The only thing he expects from us is “a
humble and contrite heart” (Psalm 51:17).
The Gospel gives us two examples of people in prayer: the
prayer of the self-righteous, the pharisaic prayer and the prayer of the
humble, the publican prayer. The parable ends that though the two men prayed to
the Lord, only one was heard, the humble who hardly raised his eyes and voice
to the Lord. Here is a lesson for us in our way approaching the Lord. Each one
could make his personal examination asking himself, “How do I pray?”
Sadly, more than oftentimes, we are like this self-righteous
Pharisee. We present litany and litanies of our achievements to God and we call
it prayer. Our prayers are made of thousand and thousands of words, leaving no
space to God to say a single one, and us to listen to him.
Without giving in any kind of criticism, I feel always hard following
the prayer of the Charismatic groups. I like their time of praises and
teachings. But when it comes to the invocations or intercessions prayer, I feel
lost, knowing not what to say and questioning how could God hear and distinguish
each one’s needs? There is a kind of prayer we should value and cultivate the
more, the silent and meditative prayer. Because, through the few words we say
in our silence, we say the most about us and enter in the real intimacy with
God. Through our silence, God reads into us like in open books, where nothing
is hidden from him. In the silence, our hearts crie like the publican, begging for
God’s mercy, creeping and mourning for our inconsistences.
Paul in the second reading will not fail telling
us that a crown of righteousness awaits those who are just and faithful to the
Lord. That is, the humble ones. Therefore, in all humility, let us strive to
win that crown. May we never forget, that we don’t stand justified before God
by self-righteousness, rather through humility.
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