Readings: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18; Psalm 34; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14
Grace and peace to you, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ. Today is the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. I would like to reflect on all the readings before us, as they beautifully unite under one theme: the cry of the lowly and the humility that moves the heart of God.
THE FIRST READING – SIRACH 35:12-14, 16-18
The First Reading is from the Book of Sirach, a text found only in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles. A man named Jesus Ben Sira, a Jewish scribe and wisdom teacher who lived in Jerusalem, wrote it. The original Hebrew text was written between 200 BC and 175 BC, during the Second Temple period, and was later translated into Greek by his grandson, around 132 BC, in Alexandria, Egypt.
It was composed to encourage Jews living in the diaspora, who were being influenced by Greek philosophy and culture, to remain faithful to the wisdom and traditions of their faith. Sirach is a manual of practical wisdom for daily life – covering family, friendship, speech, worship, humility, justice, and social responsibility.
At that time, Greek thought taught that power and wealth gave people access to the gods, while the poor were both materially and spiritually unfortunate. Sirach boldly rejects this. He teaches that our God cannot be bribed by wealth or social status. He is close to the poor, attentive to the humble, and just to the oppressed. He listens to their cry and executes justice on their behalf.
There is a powerful lesson for us here: no one can bribe God, and no one is too small to be heard by God. He is moved by humility, not by position or riches. Let us also be careful not to become the reason why someone cries to God for justice, for the Lord will surely defend the one who has been wronged.
THE PSALM – PSALM 34
The Psalm continues the same message: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.” The Psalmist declares, “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and those whose spirit is crushed He will save.”
Such is our God – compassionate and near to those who suffer. He does not despise the prayer of the humble. He hears the cry of those who have no one else to defend them. He is the friend of the lowly, the companion of the lonely, and the comforter of the afflicted.
THE SECOND READING – 2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8, 16-18
In the Second Reading, St. Paul gives what sounds like a farewell testimony. He says:
“I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
This is a verse that every Christian should long to say at the end of life. Yet Paul’s confidence is not in his own merit but in the mercy of God. He adds, “The Lord, the righteous judge, will award me the crown of righteousness.”
Here again we see humility. Our hope before God is not based on our goodness but on His mercy through Christ’s saving grace.
Paul also says that when everyone deserted him, the Lord stood by him. What a comforting truth – that God never abandons His own. Perhaps there is someone listening or reading this who feels lonely or forgotten; take heart, the Lord is with you. You are not alone. The Comforter stands beside you.
THE GOSPEL – LUKE 18:9-14
The Gospel presents the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector – a story we know well, and one that is at once simple, humorous, and deeply profound.
Two men go to the Temple to pray. The Pharisee’s prayer is filled with self-praise. He recites his good deeds, compares himself to others, and even reminds God how much better he is than the tax collector. But Jesus tells us that he “prayed to himself.” His prayer was empty.
The tax collector, on the other hand, stands far off. He cannot even raise his eyes to heaven. He beats his breast and says: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” This man went home justified because he came with a humble and contrite heart.
I will like to relate this parable to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It has a lot to teach us as it relates to this sacrament.
Let us mention four simple lessons in this light:
1. The Danger of Pride
Many people avoid Confession out of pride. “I cannot confess to a human being like me,” they say. Yet, Jesus tells us that only those who humble themselves will be exalted. Pride closes the door to mercy; humility opens it.
2. Self-Righteousness
Confession is not a place to justify ourselves or blame others. It is a place of honesty. The Pharisee used his prayer to announce his goodness and condemn others. Sadly, many do the same before God. Some stay away from Confession because they presume they are righteous, that they have nothing to confess. But if God were to reveal the true state of our hearts, we would see how deeply we need His cleansing. The proud never see their sin; the humble see their need for grace.
3. The Humility of the Tax Collector
The tax collector said a perfect Act of Contrition: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” He confessed simply, sincerely, and left forgiven. When we come to Confession with humility, honesty, and true sorrow, we too go home justified and at peace with God.
4. The Power of Confession
Every Confession is a minor exorcism. It frees us from guilt, breaks the hold of sin, restores peace, and prepares us for eternal joy. To neglect Confession is to risk the soul. Every unconfessed sin remains as a charge before the accuser. But every sincere Confession wipes the record clean through the Blood of Christ.
CONCLUSION
Dear friends, let us never tire of approaching this sacrament. Let us not allow pride to rule our will and let us not fear the priest or the process. The one who waits for us there is Christ Himself, ready to say: “You are forgiven, your record is now clean, go in peace.”
Let us conclude with the words of the Prophet Isaiah 66:1-2:
“Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne and earth my footstool. What house could you build me, what place could you make for my rest? All this was made by my hand, and all this is mine, says the Lord. But my eyes are drawn to the one of humble and contrite spirit, who trembles at my word.”
May we always be among those whose hearts are humble and contrite, whose prayers rise like incense, and whose cry pierces the heavens.
Sermon preached by Fr Emmanuel Baraka-Gukena Okami on October 26, 2025