October 27, 2019 Humility and Truth

October 27, 2019   Humility and Truth   Year C

Reading I:  Sirach
35: 12-14, 16-18

Psalm: 34

Reading II:  2 Timothy
46-8, 16-18

Gospel: 
Luke 18:9-14

The parable of “The Pharisee and the Publican” brings to my mind a common saying: "There is always some good in the worst of us and always some bad in the best of us, that it hardly behooves any of us to talk about the rest
of us."

Of course, Jesus knows us intimately, even better than we know ourselves. However, we can be blind to our own shortcomings and magnify those of others. In fact, often the weaknesses that annoy us in others are within ourselves also.

The Pharisees were well-meaning. They hoped to preserve the original Jewish faith and protect it from contamination by outside forces. They focused on the Torah, the written law as given to Moses, as well as the oral law, the interpretations passed down to them.

The strict observance of the Law was characteristic of the Pharisees, especially regarding the observance of the Sabbath. Even plucking an ear of corn on the Sabbath was condemned. Jesus, Himself, had to teach His Jewish disciples to go by the spirit of the law instead of the letter when they were hungry and needed sustenance on the Sabbath.

In the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) we meet some generous Pharisees. For example, we hear of Joseph of Arimathaea, who requested the body of Jesus to place it in a tomb. Also, we learn of Nicodemus, who brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes to prepare the body of Jesus for burial. Finally, we know of St. Paul who brought the same zeal he had as a Pharisee to his ministry to the Gentiles (non-Jews), once he was converted.

Most likely the publican (tax collector) also had some good qualities, so what was the point of comparing them? The words they spoke gave us a picture of their inner attitudes. The Pharisee bragged about all the good he did. He looked down upon others as inferior to himself. He believed that he was self-sufficient. He wouldn’t face the truth. With mind and heart closed, only a miracle of God’s grace could enable him to develop an intimate relationship with God, e.g. Saul becoming St. Paul.

On the other hand, the tax collector acknowledges his sinfulness. He knows he needed God’s help. He does not judge others. He faces the truth and thus is humble. Since he does not block out reality, he has an open heart, one that is receptive and able to develop a deep relationship with his Maker.

What causes people to be unable to face their humanity? Sometimes I believe that well-meaning parents and/or people in authority put expectations of perfection on others and thus they cannot acknowledge their weaknesses or wrongdoings.

This brings to mind an experience I had as a young Sister teaching the 6th grade in a small parish school. There was a boy in the 5th grade that had a reputation for lying. I knew he would be in my class the next year, so I was concerned about how to help him. In a magazine, I read that the reason children lie is basically fear.

I am going to call the student John, which is not his real name. Sure enough, John became my student the next year. Someone had written on the walls of the boys’ bathroom and John was accused of doing it.
 

I kept him after school and was sitting at my desk correcting papers. When I looked up, I saw that John was crying at his desk. Therefore, I called him up to my desk and asked him why he was crying. He told me that he really didn’t write on the wall, but that no one would believe him.  My response was that he had lied so much in the past that he now had a reputation for lying. The only way he could change that was to begin to tell the truth.

There was an unsolved mystery of another event which I mentioned to him. He acknowledged that he had been the culprit that time. Then I told him to go to the principal, tell her that he had committed the first offense, but he had not written on the wall that day. I also told him from now on not to respond quickly when questioned, rather to remember the importance of telling the truth before he answered.

At the end of the year, I was promoted to the 7th grade with my class. One girl who was cleaning the classroom after school casually mentioned to me that John no longer was lying.  Of course, this surprised me. I had no idea why she was telling me about this. Maybe John had shared my conversation with her? Nonetheless, I was delighted to learn this. Perhaps by my accepting John as he was, he could then acknowledge the truth.

 Reflection Question:   Let us ask the Lord to help us become humble by accepting ourselves and others with all our virtues and imperfections.

Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...

Humildad y Verdad

Por supuesto, Jesús nos conoce íntimamente, incluso mejor que nosotros mismos. Sin embargo, podemos ser ciegos a nuestras propias deficiencias y magnificar las de los demás. De hecho, a menudo las debilidades que nos molestan en los demás también están dentro de nosotros mismos.

Los fariseos tenían buenas intenciones. Esperaban preservar la fe judía original y protegerla de la contaminación por fuerzas externas. Se centraron en la Torá, la ley escrita dada a Moisés, así como la ley oral, las interpretaciones transmitidas a ellos.

La estricta observancia de la Ley era característica de los fariseos, especialmente con respecto a la observancia del sábado. Incluso condenar una mazorca de maíz en sábado fue condenado. Jesús mismo tuvo que enseñar a sus discípulos judíos a seguir el espíritu de la ley en lugar de la letra cuando tenían hambre y necesitaban sustento en sábado.

En las Escrituras Cristianas (Nuevo Testamento) nos encontramos con unos fariseos generosos. Por ejemplo, escuchamos de José de Arimatea, quien le pidió al cuerpo de Jesús que lo colocara en una tumba. Además, nos enteramos de Nicodemo, que trajo una mezcla de mirra y áloe para preparar el cuerpo de Jesús para el entierro. Finalmente, sabemos de San Pablo que trajo el mismo celo que tenía como fariseo a su ministerio a los gentiles (no judíos), una vez que se convirtió.

Lo más probable es que el publicano (recaudador de impuestos) también tuviera algunas buenas cualidades, entonces, ¿cuál era el punto de compararlos? Las palabras que pronunciaron nos dieron una imagen de sus actitudes internas. El fariseo se jactaba de todo lo bueno que hacía. Miró a los demás como inferiores a sí mismo. Él creía que era autosuficiente. No enfrentaría la verdad. Con la mente y el corazón cerrados, solo un milagro de la gracia de Dios podría permitirle desarrollar una relación íntima con Dios, p. Saúl convirtiéndose en San Pablo.

Por otro lado, el recaudador de impuestos reconoce su pecaminosidad. Él sabe que necesitaba la ayuda de Dios. Él no juzga a los demás. Se enfrenta a la verdad y, por lo tanto, es humilde. Como no bloquea la realidad, tiene un corazón abierto, receptivo y capaz de desarrollar una relación profunda con su Hacedor.

¿Qué hace que las personas sean incapaces de enfrentar su humanidad? A veces creo que los padres bien intencionados y / o las personas con autoridad ponen expectativas de perfección en los demás y, por lo tanto, no pueden reconocer sus debilidades o fechorías.

Esto me recuerda una experiencia que tuve cuando era una joven Hermana enseñando el sexto grado en una pequeña escuela parroquial. Había un niño en quinto grado que tenía fama de mentir. Sabía que estaría en mi clase el próximo año, así que me preocupaba cómo ayudarlo. En una revista, leí que la razón por la cual los niños mienten es básicamente el miedo.

Voy a llamar al estudiante John, que no es su nombre real. Efectivamente, John se convirtió en mi alumno al año siguiente. Alguien había escrito en las paredes del baño de los niños y John fue acusado de hacerlo.

Lo guardé después de la escuela y estaba sentado en mi escritorio corrigiendo papeles. Cuando levanté la vista, vi que John estaba llorando en su escritorio. Por lo tanto, lo llamé a mi escritorio y le pregunté por qué estaba llorando. Me dijo que realmente no escribía en la pared, pero que nadie le creería. Mi respuesta fue que había mentido tanto en el pasado que ahora tenía fama de mentir. La única forma en que podía cambiar eso era comenzar a decir la verdad.

Había un misterio sin resolver de otro evento que le mencioné. Reconoció que había sido el culpable esa vez. Luego le dije que fuera al director y le dijera que había cometido la primera ofensa, pero que no había escrito en la pared ese día. También le dije a partir de ahora que no respondiera rápidamente cuando se le preguntara, sino que recordara la importancia de decir la verdad antes de responder.

Al final del año, fui promovido al séptimo grado con mi clase. Una chica que estaba limpiando el aula después de la escuela me dijo casualmente que John ya no mentía. Por supuesto, esto me sorprendió. No tenía idea de por qué me estaba contando sobre esto. ¿Quizás John había compartido mi conversación con ella? Sin embargo, me encantó saber esto. Quizás al aceptar a John tal como era, él podría reconocer la verdad.

 Pregunta de Reflexíon:  Pidamos al Señor que nos ayude a ser humildes al aceptarnos a nosotros mismos y a los demás con todas nuestras virtudes e imperfecciones.

Comments:

Stephanie Morris, Ph. D, Historian, Certified Archivist, emerita

Mother Katharine reminds us to walk always in the presence of God. If we truly believe that we are constantly in the presence of our Creator, our Redeemer, the Savior who was cruelly murdered for our sakes, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, how can we honestly be anything but humble? We have this Wonderful Presence with us, within us; how can we ignore Him by thinking of our own glory first? Mother Katharine also wrote that we should “Quietly, tranquility, let the grace of God work in you.” If we can do this, then the grace of God will help us to accept ourselves as we truly are and to accept others as God sees them.

Pat Chiaffa, ASBS

Your question, “What causes people to be unable to face their humanity?” is a powerful reflective inquiry when we ask it of ourselves in the first person, “What causes me to be unable to face my humanity?” Fear-based thoughts come to mind, such as not wanting to see all the suffering going on around me, not wanting to assume responsibility for others, unwillingness to go beyond the surface, feelings of powerlessness. For me, these thoughts reflect a mindset of separateness – them /me.  As Christians, of course, we should hold the space of oneness, of solidarity and unity. Regardless of the perceived differences: gender, race, culture age, intelligence, we are called to see other people as God sees them.

Richard Rohr posted an article in which he shares the words of his friend, Tim Shriver, Chair of Special Olympics, who works with many people whom our culture excludes or disregards. Through their eyes he has come to see God’s presence in every human being. Rohr suggests that as we read Tim’s words, imagine how we might stand in solidarity with someone “on the edge,” someone who has been excluded, and see that individual through God’s eyes.

“You cannot believe in or practice unitive consciousness as long as you exclude and marginalize others—whether it is women or people of different sexual orientations or people of religious or ethnic minorities or, in my experience, people with intellectual disabilities. My work is largely with and in support of people who have significant vulnerabilities because of intellectual disability. In many cultures these people are excluded and oppressed, though often unconsciously, even more so than other marginalized groups. . . . They are thought to be hopeless. Mostly they are ignored and forgotten.

For twenty years I have been mentored by these same people. Some might not be the best-spoken, the most articulate writers, the most celebrated thinkers, the fastest runners. And yet, despite all of that, I have met person after person who emanates a kind of radiant light. After a while, even the densest of us may have our eyes opened to that something which transcends all superficial distractions of disability: the unimaginable beauty of every person. That beauty is ours for the seeing if only we have the eyes to see, if only we pay attention.

I try to maintain those eyes as I engage in this work. At times I will pull myself out of whatever I’m doing and try to remember that I’m united with all that is. I give myself license to step away and reconnect. I fail mostly, but once in a while I succeed, and when I do, I feel like I am touching a “sweet spot” of wonder and peace. It enables me to be present to people in a way that I can communicate to them that I love them unconditionally. There are no conditions to our unity, to our oneness.

Many times I’ve watched, for instance, as a person with Down syndrome stands with a gold medal around her neck, arms raised high to a cheering crowd. I can’t look at that child, at that human being, without slipping out of dualistic thinking. Those moments are a kind of sacrament of unitive consciousness. They are “both-and” moments where shadow and light coexist in the same experience. . . . Divine energy shoots vertically through me like a force, and says, “See! Look! Pay attention to what is right in front of you! That is all you need to know!”