30th Sunday in Ordinary Time C
October 23, 2022
INTRODUCTIONHOMILIESVIDEOSCOMMENTARYCHURCH FATHERSCATECHISMANECDOTESQUESTIONSCHILDREN SERMONSMUSIC
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Cropped image from a photograph by Fr Lawrence Lew OP of a stained glass window in the Episcopal National Cathedral in Washington DC.
| Bloom | Chama | Chua | Cummins | Fleming | Hawkswell | Holsington |
| Kavanaugh | Lane | Langeh | Lawrence | McKinnon | Pavone | Pellegrino |
| Powell | Schuster | Senior | Smiga | Terra | Turner | Wester |
FR. VINCENT HAWKSWELL
A Prayer for Sinners: ‘God, be Merciful to Me, a Sinner!’
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – 2022
In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, God seems perverse: he wants us to be good, but he rejects the good man and “justifies” the sinner.
EXCERPT: Pope St. John Paul II said that “the first way of facing the grave spiritual crisis looming over man today” is “the restoration of a proper sense of sin.” For the people of our time, it means repenting and believing in the Gospel, accepting the good news of love and adoption as God’s children. That is why we start the Mass with a penitential service. This is the prayer God always answers. We cannot ourselves become righteous: we can only beg what St. Paul calls “the crown of righteousness” from our brother, the Lord, “the righteous Judge,” who will refuse it to no one.
FR. GEORGE SMIGA
Learning to Bow Down
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – 2010
Whenever we come to Mass, we celebrate our connection to one another in a faith community.
EXCERPT: Carl Jung, the famous psychologist, was a man of faith. One day he asked his Rabbi, “Why is it that in biblical times God appeared to many people and many people saw him, but today hardly anyone sees God?” The Rabbi thought for awhile and then said “I think it’s because today there is not anyone around who can bow down low enough.” Bowing down low is not a modern virtue. We dedicate ourselves to improving ourselves, to lifting ourselves, to encouraging a positive self-esteem. There is nothing wrong with feeling good about ourselves and about our achievements. But when it comes to our relationship to God, another stance is demanded. God is greater than us. So the only way we can come into God’s presence is by knowing our radical dependence on God’s mercy. Yes, we are good and worthwhile people, but in the presence of God, we must humble ourselves. We must bow down low so that a relationship with God can be formed.
RELATED HOMILIES
- God’s Mercy | October 27, 2019 / Luke 18:9-14
- Making a Difference | October 23, 2016 / Luke 18:9-14
- God in the Smallest Things | October 27, 2013 / Luke 18:9-14
- Action and Reflection | October 28, 2007 / Luke 18:9-14
- A Trap in the Gospel | October 24, 2004 / Luke 18:9-14
FR. AUSTIN FLEMING
Humblebraggers
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – 2019
May God keep us from pointing to the failings of others to justify ourselves and our own behavior.
EXCERPT: Humblebragging” is letting others know (subtly or not so subtly) just how wonderful you really are, how fantastic your life is (especially compared to others!) but masking your claim to fame as humility. It’s bragging – while trying to pretend you’re not bragging…
The tax collector is no humblebragger – he’s just humble. Keep in mind that being humble doesn’t mean having a low opinion of yourself, being humble means having an opinion of yourself that’s rooted in reality. To be humble is to try to see one’s life as God sees it.
MSGR. JOSEPH PELLEGRINO
To See and Be Seen
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – 2022
It is a good thing to see God. It is a good thing to be seen by the One who loves us.
EXCERPT: It’s great to see you, and its great to be seen. Jesus told the story today of two men in the Temple who were concerned about seeing and being seen. One stayed in the back of the Temple area. He didn’t care whether any others saw he was there. He just felt a huge wave of guilt that he should be there seen by God. The second man had no guilt being before God, and he took a front place in the Temple area, making sure that not only God, but many others could witness his piety. Both men came to the Temple to see God. The arrogant man was convinced that it was wonderful that God and others could see him.
FR. MICHAEL CHUA
God Does Not Have Favourites
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – 2019
Humility is a necessary condition if we wish to come before the Lord to worship Him
EXCERPT: The first reading assures us that “the Lord is a judge who is no respecter of personages.” But then Sirach goes on to state that God “shows no respect of personages to the detriment of a poor man, He listens to the plea of the injured party. He does not ignore the orphan’s supplication, nor the widow’s as she pours out her story.” From what Sirach has been saying, God does seem to have favourites – He seems to show favour to the poor, the orphaned, the injured party, and the widow. How do we make sense of this?
A distinction must be made between “favouritism” and “favour.” Although God does not show favouritism, He does show favour. “Favour” here means approval of something or an act of kindness beyond what is due.
FR. FRANK PAVONE
God’s Love for the Smallest
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
We are called to intervene, to reach those tempted to abort and strengthen them to do what is right…
EXCERPT: [The readings today point] to God’s concern for the poorest of the poor, and the most helpless of all, the children still in the womb. They have no access to the power structures of this world, who have officially deprived them of their rights of personhood. No group of human beings is more victimized, or in greater numbers, than children in the first nine months after conception.
The God of justice requires his people to “do justice,” that is, to “hear the cry of the oppressed” as he does. The unborn child is, indeed, “the orphan,” often abandoned by mother and father who resort to abortion. The mother of the child is, for all practical purposes, facing the plight of the “widow” in Scripture, because half of those who have abortions say that they can’t go forward due to lack of support from the father of the child.
FR. EVANS CHAMA, M.AFR
Humble Prayer
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – 2016
We are invited to examine ourselves regarding our attitude in prayer
EXCERPT: Certainly, the parable does not imply that Jesus disregards all that the Pharisee does in observance of the law. He disapproves only his pride and his judgmental attitude towards the publican.
In fact, the Pharisee begins well his prayer in an attitude of gratitude. But then, unfortunately, it ends in self-praise, all centered on himself and his accomplishments. Isn’t it a bit strange that God be pushed on the margins in a prayer?
Besides, he uses his virtues as a cane against the publican. “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” The pride does not end at showing off only but he also despises those who are not like him; I’m holier-than-you mentality. Yet, it’s this same publican he despises who returns home reconciled with God, thanks to his humble prayer.
ABBOT PHILIP LAWRENCE, OSB
Accepting All Our Failures and Brokenness
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – 2016
Are we able to come before the Lord and simply ask for mercy?
EXCERPT: The Lord hears the cries of the oppressed! The teaching today is very clear: we must come before the Lord as people who have no rights at all and only ask his mercy. If we want to pray, we need to accept all of our failures and our brokenness… Anyone in the time of Jesus would have known that a Pharisee was always faithful to the Law and to the practices of his faith. Tax collectors were despised on all sides because they did the work for the Romans of taking money from people who had little. The difference in their prayer is striking and should touch our hearts. The Pharisee tells God how good he is while the tax collector simply asks for mercy because he knows that he is a sinner.
FR. JUDE LANGEH,CMF
God Dwells with the Humble of Heart
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
Pride comes before any fall.
EXCERPT: Our First reading from Ecclesiasticus 35:15-17,20-22 make us understand that “the humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds…”. Humility helps us to see ourselves as we really are and it inclines us to God’s grace and mercy. God dwells with the humble of heart who recognize their own sinfulness and who acknowledge God’s mercy and saving grace: I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit (Isaiah 57:15).
FR. PHIL BLOOM
FR. TOMMY LANE
YEAR C HOMILIES
This website is by Fr. Tommy Lane, S.S.L., S.T.D. (License in Sacred Scripture, Doctorate in Sacred Theology), returning again to my home diocese, Cloyne, Ireland in fall 2020 and formerly Professor of Sacred Scripture at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland. I have deliberately designed this as a website rather than a blog because many of the more than 2000 visitors to this website every day are priests and deacons looking for homily ideas.
FATHER MICHAEL CUMMINS
DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE
“Don’t be afraid, dear friends, to take the ‘alternate’ path indicated by true love: a sober and solid lifestyle, with loving, sincere and pure relations, an honest commitment to studies and work, and the profound interest in the common good.” Pope Benedict XVI to the young pilgrims gathered in Loreto, Italy
FR. JOHN KAVANAUGH, SJ
Self-Righteous
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – 1997
Saints or sinners, no one of us is a self-made man or woman.
EXCERPT: The holy souls, all those who know need, all those who know they are lost if they rely on their own powers, all those who know they cannot count on their own righteousness, are all we might aspire to be. Saints or sinners, no one of us is a self-made man or woman. To think so is a delusion. To want it is a false and dangerous dream.
Can you imagine telling a self-made woman that she is actually a sinner in need? Can you conceive of telling a self-made man that he is loved? They are unable to hear such things. They are preoccupied with their own achievements.
SOURCE: SUNDAY WEB SITE
FR. JOHN MCKINNON
HOMILIES
These are a fairly inclusive collection of John McKinnon’s homilies. He began to type his Sunday homilies regularly since 2005, and saved them to his computer for possible later use. For some Sundays, homilies are not available, either because John was absent on holidays that year, a major feast occurred on that day, or he had some other reason for not preaching. These are provided as a possible starting point in preparation for the Sunday Liturgy.
FR. PHILIP N. POWELL, OP
BISHOP FRANK SCHUSTER
Aesop and a Lesson in Humility
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) – 2019
God cannot have a relationship with you if you don’t take the time to have a relationship with him.
EXCERPT: And now a word from Aesop, just in time for Halloween…the fable is entitled “The Frog and the Ox” (Taken from Aesopfables.com). “Oh Father,” said a little Frog to the big one sitting by the side of a pool, “I have seen such a terrible monster! It was as big as a mountain, with horns on its head, and a long tail, and it had hoofs divided in two.”…
Ouch, what a scary story! Again, just in time for Halloween. Aesop’s Fables are kind of creepy, aren’t they? And what could the moral of the story be? I think it is this: puffing ourselves up can lead to our self-destruction. Which is to say, egotism and pride can lead to our undoing. If we puff ourselves up too much in life, eventually our world will explode. In other words, this fable from Aesop is a lesson about humility. Jesus says as much in the Gospel reading, “whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Let’s take a closer look at the Gospel parable and what Jesus means by humility. T
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MSGR. RUSSELL G TERRA
FR. PAUL TURNER
FR. DONALD WESTER
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