Deacon Matt's Reflection

Reflection for 30h Sunday in   Ordinary Time: October 23, 2022

 Sirach 35: 12-14, 16-18: In this passage, we’re reassured that our God is a fair and just God, Who has no favorites; for we are, each and all His favorite child. We’re further reassured that our God has special and tender concern for the poor and vulnerable. He listens as intently to those without power as He does to presidents, kings and queens, or those who, in the eyes of the world, seem more important. With God, the influential people of the earth have no more influence than the lowly and humble … especially the innocent! All people are important to God and those who serve God, obediently and faithfully are close to His ears. Encouragingly, we’re further uplifted with the pronouncement in this passage, that “the prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds.” Let this passage give you renewed hope when you pray!

Psalm 34: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” Like today’s psalmist, let’s take courage in the knowledge that the Lord, truly does hear the cry of the poor. The Lord truly listens to us, attendees to us and accompanies us, in all of our burdens, as well as in all of our joyful and triumphant moments. The psalmist gives us an injection of hope when we’re reassured that the Lord will “confront and destroy” evil-doers; while He will lift up, save and rescue those who are unjustly treated, imprisoned or abused. With this psalm reverberating in our souls, we must never give up hope for relief and salvation! Even in our darkest moments, we are confirmed by our Lord, Himself that we can have confidence and believe! God’s power to save and abilities to help are infinite! Rejoice then and be at peace!

2 Tim 4:6-8; 16-18:  Today, Paul writes to us from the standpoint of knowing that his time on earth is short. Notice that Paul’s outlook is calm, peaceful, serene and hopeful. He knows that he has served God, faithfully and well, so he has nothing significant to fear as he prepares to meet our Creator and Redeemer. While being influential and powerful, in a sense, Paul is also humble and lowly. He realizes, recognizes and even announces that anything even remotely good about him is only due to the gift of God’s grace and not originally due to any merit or accomplishment of his own. When Paul refers to his own virtues and accomplishments in ministry, Paul is merely glorifying God for God’s ability to use him (Paul), as God’s instrument, despite Paul’s imperfections. Thus, Paul and his whole life become consecrated as a praise of God’s glory! Paul’s whole life, at its end, focuses on God.

Luke 18: 9-14:  Having just read of Paul’s humility and self-deprecation, we see in today’s Gospel message that Jesus confirms that it’s infinitely more honest, appropriate and necessary to approach God with a sense of our own unworthiness and dependence upon God’s mercy. We haven’t earned any rewards from God for our good works, as our very ability to perform them is a gift from God. Always remember that we’re totally dependent upon God and that we can accomplish nothing whatever without the help of His grace. Reflecting on that ought to humble us, so that heretofore, we approach God like the tax collector … humbly and with repentance. May we never approach God with the pride and arrogance of the Pharisee. Let’s always glorify and praise God for the good works He has accomplished in us, and in others around us.

The Glory is God’s!
Deacon Matt