October 24, 2010 30th SUNDAY  OF  THE  YEAR  (Cycle - A) ENTRANCE ANTIPHON Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord. Seek the Lord and his strength, seek always the face of the Lord. PENITENTIAL RITE Both the First Reading and the Gospel of today speak about people at prayer. One of the things that Jesus underscores in his parable about prayer is the posture of the penitent man as he prays. He remains at a distance, casting his eyes down and beating his breast. The tax collector who sincerely confessed his sins and asked humbly for God’s mercy, got that mercy; his sins were forgiven him. What is our attitude when we come to worship or pray? Let us humbly acknowledge our self-righteousness and ask God’s pardon. (Pause) I confess... Glory to God... OPENING PRAYER Almighty and ever-living God, strengthen our faith, hope, and love. May we do with loving hearts what you ask of us and come to share the life you promise. We ask this... FIRST READING (The Lord, a God of justice, hears the cry of the oppressed and the wail of the orphan. God treats everybody with absolute justice.) A reading from the Book of Sirach    (35:12-14,16-18a) The Lord is the judge and with him is no partiality. He will not show partiality in the case of a poor man; and he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. He will not ignore the supplication of the fatherless, nor the widow when she pours out her story. He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted, and his prayer will reach to the clouds. The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him, and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgement. And the Lord will not delay. This is the Word of the Lord PSALM    (33) Response: This poor man called; the Lord heard him. I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise always on my lips; in the Lord my soul shall make its boast. The humble shall hear and be glad. R./ The Lord turns his face against the wicked to destroy their remembrance from the earth. The just call and the Lord hears and rescues them in all their distress. R./ The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; those whose spirit is crushed he will save. The Lord ransoms the souls of his servants. Those who hide in him shall not be condemned. R./ SECOND READING (St Paul, a prisoner in Rome, reviews his life and feels that his death is imminent. He has full confidence in God, the just Judge, who will give him his eternal reward.) A reading from the Second Letter of St Paul to Timothy    (4:6-8,16-18) I am already on the point of being sacrificed; the time of my departure has come, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. At my first defence no one took my part; all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength to proclaim the word fully, that all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. This is the Word of the Lord. ACCLAMATION     (Jn 1:14,12) Alleluia, alleluia! The Word became flesh and dwelt among us; to all who received him, he gave power to become children of God. Alleluia! GOSPEL (In the Gospel parable, Jesus very emphatically reproaches the Pharisees for their pride and exalted opinion of their own sanctity. The tax-collector’s humble prayer wins him forgiveness.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke    (18:9-14) Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” This is the Gospel of the Lord I believe in God,/the Father Almighty,/ Creator of heaven and earth./ I believe in Jesus Christ,/his only Son, our Lord./ He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit/ and born of the Virgin Mary./He suffered under Pontius Pilate,/was crucified, died, and was buried./He descended to the dead./On the third day he rose again./He ascended into Heaven,/and is seated at the right hand of the Father./He will come again to judge the living and the dead./I believe in the Holy Spirit,/the Holy Catholic Church,/the communion of saints,/the forgiveness of sins,/the resurrection of the body,/and the life everlasting./ Amen. PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, God is our loving Father, who cares for us and knows all our needs. He listens to the prayer of the humble. With trustful hearts let us pray: Response: Loving Father, have mercy on us sinners. 1. Lord, we pray for all the leaders of the Church: that they become models of humility, forgiveness and compassion, so that the faithful can experience the healing love of God. R./ 2. Lord, penetrate our inmost being with your holy light that we may turn to you in humility and repentance. R./ 3. Lord, strengthen our will to give up selfishness, pride, boasting and vain glory. R./ 4. Lord, set us free from all bondages so as to live for you. Give us courage for every trial and strength to overcome all temptations. R./ 5. Lord, grant us courage when things go wrong; strengthen us with faith in you, with hope in your promises and with love to do your will. R./ (Pray for local and personal needs) Cel: God of love and mercy, fill our hearts with love and compassion. Give us the humility not to hide our weaknesses, and the wisdom to learn from our mistakes. We ask this... PRAYER OVER THE GIFTS Lord God of power and might, receive the gifts we offer and let our service give you glory. We ask this... PREFACE   (36) Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. When your children sinned and wandered far from your friendship, you reunited them with yourself through the blood of your Son and the power of the Holy Spirit. You gather them into your Church, to be one as you, Father, are one with your Son and the Holy Spirit. You call them to be your people to praise your wisdom in all your works. You make them the body of Christ and the dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit. In our joy we sing to your glory with all the choirs of angels: All: Holy, holy, holy... COMMUNION ANTIPHON We will rejoice at the victory of God and make our boast in his great name. PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION Lord, bring to perfection within us the communion we share in this sacrament. May our celebration have an effect in our lives. We ask this...     LITURGY  AND  LIFE A book that was a best seller for many years is Dr Thomas Harris’ I’m OK, You’re OK. Along with its sequel STAYING OK, it popularized the Transactional Analysis (or TA) approach to help people improve their relationships with themselves and others. The goal of TA is to emancipate the adult element in us from the archaic recordings of the parent and child elements in us, so that we can create new options for ourselves and make our own free choices. Today’s Gospel story illustrates a little bit of Transactional Analysis. The selection of two extremes as characters in Jesus’ story, tips us off that he’s setting us up. The Pharisee was the religious professional—he did all the right things demanded by the Law. The tax collector was a sinner by employment—he was guilty of breaking the Law by the very work he did. Each of them prays in the Temple. If Jesus had stopped to ask us, “Who do you think went home justified?” We probably would have answered, “The Pharisee!” But Jesus would say, “You’re wrong! The other guy is the good guy. The tax collector is the one who goes home justified.” “How come?” we would protest. Then Jesus would give us the punch line: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” In terms of Transactional Analysis the Pharisee was relating to God like a parent to a child. He was telling God all about the good things he was doing for him—fasting, praying, tithing and so on. He was almost demanding that God admire and approve him. On the other hand, the tax collector related to God like a child to a parent. He humbly acknowledged that he had done wrong but trusted in his heavenly Father’s love and mercy. How do we pray? Do we approach God as if we were the Big Daddy with all kinds of gifts to give to Him? As if we were doing Him a big favour with all our achievements? Or do we approach God like a child going to a parent to receive something? Like a child who comes in humility to be affirmed, embraced, loved and exalted? Also in terms of TA, by comparing himself to the tax collector, the Pharisee almost said to the latter, “I’m OK, but you are not OK.” He assumed a position of pretended superiority. He was playing the “pecking game” that chickens play—that is, he was pecking on someone who seemed smaller and weaker in his eyes, in order to make himself look better by comparison. Do we pray like that? Is our prayer a monologue of “I”s like the Pharisee’s to convince ourselves that “We’re OK”? Is our prayer a “pecking game” pointing out the flaws of other people to make ourselves feel satisfied because “They’re not OK”? One of the aims of TA is to make us ready to change for the better regardless of our past. Prayer can prepare us for change, for improvement. But this will happen only if we are humble and ready for change like the tax collector, and not proud and self-satisfied like the Pharisee. Change for the better will happen only if we approach God the way a child comes to a parent—not to give but to receive; not to brag about ourselves but to listen to the Lord. The lesson of today’s Gospel story is needed by every follower of Christ, because there is a bit of the Pharisee in everyone of us. —Fr Albert Cylwicki, CSB     October  2010     READINGS  OF  THE  WEEK       Psalter Week   2   25 Mon (G)   Eph 4:32-5:8; Ps 1:1-2,3,4&6; Lk 13:10-17 26 Tue (G)    Eph 5:21-33; Ps 127:1-2,3,4-5a&c; Lk 13:18-21 27 Wed (G)   Eph 6:1-9; Ps 144:10-12,13ab,13cd-14; Lk 13:22-30 28 Thu (R)    Sts SIMON & JUDE, Aps, Fst                       Eph 2:19-22; Ps 18:2-3,4-5ab; Lk 6:12-19 29 Fri (G)    Phil 1:1-11; Ps 110:1-2,3-4,5-6; Lk 14:1-6 30 Sat (G)  Phil 1:18b-26; Ps 41:2,3,5cde; Lk 14:1,7-11