[Sirach 35:15b-17,20-22b; Psalm 34; 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18; Luke 18:9-14]

I visited an elderly lady recently; she was brought up as a Catholic and was devout. Her whole life changed when her husband left her, and she found herself left alone. She sought solace in her Parish community but said that she had to leave because she felt judged and ostracised. Now I wasn’t there, so I don’t know the full story behind any of what I have just written, but I could hear the pain in her voice and see the tears well up as she described her hurt. This was not a Parish within our Pastoral Area; I would hope that we would be more understanding and supportive to someone who found themselves in that situation.

In the Gospel we hear today, Jesus describing a similar situation. We have the pharisee pumped up by pride putting himself front and centre before God; boasting about how good he is compared to others. We also have the tax collector, seeking mercy, because he can see his own faults, he is approaching God in humility; we don’t know whether he pays any tithes or how much he does to help others, however, he is putting God first. Jesus is teaching us to be more like the man seeking mercy than the pharisee who judges everyone else and proudly lists how he sees himself as being better than they are.

I have lost count of the times I have heard people comment that someone must be good because they go to church. Some of those who do not come to church assume we think we are better than they are. Nothing could be further from the truth. We come to church, because we are sinners, we all need to seek the same mercy as that tax collector. None of us has the right to judge anyone else, and yet we do. We can all slip into behaviours which are judgemental. The late Canon Frank O’Sullivan, a priest I admired very much, described this as follows – “It is so easy to compare ourselves with others in ways which lead us to think we are better than they are. You can see yourselves as being more happily married, being better off, more loving and caring, even better Christians. Pride easily rears its ugly head. Sometimes comparing has the opposite effect. We can see ourselves as inferior, of less worth or value. This in turn can lead to envy and jealousy. Humility means knowing the truth about ourselves. This truth is that every person is unique, is created by God and is loved by God. Each human being is someone Jesus died for.”[1]

‘Humility means knowing the truth about ourselves’. When we look at the two men in the parable, which of the two, knew the truth about themselves?

When we come to church, how do we come before God?

Do we come as someone who knows the truth about themselves or do we put on ‘a front’?

Earlier this year on Easter Sunday, I decided to attend Mass with my wife, Pam, at another church outside of the Pastoral Area. I found myself at the back surrounded by families of various ages. I was totally distracted by the antics of some of those around me. I turned to Pam and she said this is what it can be like in the pews. My disappointment was compounded that the adults’ behaviour was just as poor as the children; if anything, the younger children were behaving better than the teenagers, and the adults were doing nothing to correct poor behaviours. I was guilty that day of judging those around me. I know nothing of their ‘truth’. They may have had to battle to get their children to Mass and the behaviour could have been what they were prepared to tolerate if it meant their children came to Mass with them.

We can all be guilty of judging others at times. Jesus is urging us to look more at ourselves and not at others. He is asking us to come to Him with humility, to acknowledge our sins, seek His forgiveness and be filled with His Grace. Only then can we enter fully into a relationship with our Creator; which after all is why we were created in the first place.

Further Reading

The Catechism of the Catholic Church[2]

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

CCC 588, 2559, 2613, 2631: humility as the foundation of prayer
CCC 2616: Jesus hears prayer made in faith
CCC 2628: adoration as the attitude of man who knows he is a creature
CCC 2631: prayer for pardon as the first kind of prayer of petition

Please remember in your prayers

  • All those who are sick, either at home or in hospital, especially those who have very few or no visitors.
  • Those who have died and those who grieve for them.
  • All people affected by war and that international treaties for the protection of non-combatants and civilians are respected and adhered to.
  • All those attending the RCIA programmes
  • Those attending the Youth Alpha programme which is a prerequisite for the Confirmation programme in our Pastoral Area.
  • The success of the Pastoral Area Mission Plan.
  • Our politicians and leaders that they look out for the poor, the lost and the lonely when they are making deals.
  • Success of the Pastoral Area Course “Mary – A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother.”
  • For those who feel rejected by the Church, that they can be welcomed back home where they belong.

Deacon Tony

25th October 2025.

[1] Canon Frank O’Sullivan, Piercing the clouds with our humble prayers, taken from I am with You Year C, [TWO in ONE FLESH, Caterham, 2012] 122.

[2] Homiletic Directory, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments