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October
24, 2010
30 th 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
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