Homily -- World Mission Sunday

Readings:  Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14

A little story is told of an elephant taking a dip in a jungle pool on one sunny day. A mouse came to the edge of the pond and demanded that the elephant come out. ‘Why?’ asked the giant animal. ‘I will tell you why when you get out,’ said the tiny mouse. So, the elephant got out and asked, ‘OK, what do you want?’ The mouse replied, ‘I just wanted to see if you were wearing my bathing suit.'   

In what ways do we exaggerate our importance and consider ourselves superior to others?
There is a big difference between self-confidence and arrogance. Likewise, there is a difference between the truth of humility and poor self-esteem. Most of us don’t like being around people who are arrogant. And we feel the same way about those who are seriously lacking in self-esteem. 

The arrogant are boastful and full of themselves. They are not interested in what others do or might have to say. They see themselves to be far superior and they look down upon or even mistreat other people. Those with low or poor self-esteem can be very lacking in self-confidence. They find it difficult to relate to most other people on a personal level. They might even speak in a negative way about others who are confident, self-assured, and successful in their own endeavors. 

The scripture readings for today deal with these types in both direct and indirect ways. In the Gospel passage, the Pharisee was arrogant and self-righteous. He believed that he was better than anyone else. He kept the Commandments and followed the Law of Moses, but he did not know how to love. He judged others and condemned them. He was not open to God’s grace, because he thought he had no need for it. On the other hand, the tax collector knew he had problems. In Jesus’ time, the tax collector’s job was to enforce the tax imposed by the Roman occupiers. 

Tax collectors were known to overcharge and pocket the difference. They were perceived as greedy, dishonest, and more loyal to the Romans than to their own community and kin. Of course, we feel sympathy for the lowly and the oppressed and we understand why the Lord attends to the cries of orphans and widows. But it is not so easy to feel sympathy toward the tax collector or to understand why his prayer is heard. Yet Jesus challenges us with this parable and its conclusion: The tax collector went home justified. 

In the parable, the tax collector shares an important virtue with the poor and oppressed: humility. They have all been humbled, whether by life’s circumstances or their own doing. Like the orphan and the widow, he puts himself in God’s hands. 

In his book, Humility of Heart, Fr. Cajetan Mary Da Bergamo wrote “In Paradise there are many Saints who never gave alms on earth: their poverty justified them. There are many Saints who never mortified their bodies by fasting or wearing hair shirts: their bodily infirmities excused them. There are many Saints too who virgins were not; their vocation was otherwise. But in Paradise there is no Saint who was not humble.” 

As we know David is a key person in Sacred Scripture. Why? He committed adultery, then murder. Why is this sinner so honored? Jesus was proud to be called the son of David. Why? Because of his humility, so beautifully expressed in Psalm 51.

   Have mercy on me, O God,

 according to your steadfast love;

according to your abundant mercy

 blot out my transgressions.

 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

 and cleanse me from my sin . . .

The Lord hears the cry of the poor and the tax collector, but does he hear our prayers? When do I find myself likely to judge others? How do I correct these thoughts of pride when they arise?

Jesus does not fault the Pharisees for his good works. Fasting, tithing and honesty are all important. With this, we must remember that the gospel does not condemn pious practices. Instead, it invites us to consider our own interior dispositions to prayer.

While we certainly bring our entire selves to prayer, we do not pray to boost our own self-esteem or tell God how great we are. It is a waste of time to try to convince God of our holiness or goodness. Instead, like the tax collector, we come humbly before God, aware of own shortfalls and inadequacies. We name these realities and place our trust in the God of mercy.

It is easy for us to become frustrated when our worldly understandings of success and failure are not necessarily the same as God’s. We would do well, then, to consider the words of the author of Sirach. “ The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites. Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet he hears the cry of the oppressed” . Let our prayer be sincere, our humility truthful, and our hearts filled with love when we approach the One who hears us before we ask.

Dear friends, ever since 1926, the Church has celebrated World Mission Day, which we celebrate this weekend. ‘You shall be my witnesses’ is this year’s theme! The Holy Father reflected on the foundations of “the life and mission of every disciple”. Pope Francis said “Every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. And the Church, the community of Christ’s disciples, has no other mission than that of bringing the Gospel to the entire world by bearing witness to Christ. To evangelize is the very identity of the Church.”

The needs of the Catholic Church in the Missions grow every year as new dioceses are formed, new seminaries are opened because of the growing number of young men hearing Christ's call to follow Him as priests, areas devastated by war or natural disaster are rebuilt, and areas that are long suppressed are opening up to hear the message of Christ and His Church. That is why the involvement and commitment of all of us so urgently needed. Special offerings are sent to the Society Propagation of the Faith that supports missionary activity worldwide.

My personal story. 

May our spiritual and financial sacrifices help the message and love of God be made known to the ends of the world. ###