Prayer Born in Humility
Sirach 35:12-14,16-18; 2 Tim 4:6-8,16-18; Lk 18:9-14 (30/C)
“The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds; it will not rest
until it reaches its goal.” (Sir 35:17)
The devout Jew observed
prayer three times daily, 9 a.m., 12 p.m., and 3 p.m. Prayer was held to be especially
efficacious if it was offered in the Temple. Accordingly, at these hours, many used
to go up to the Temple courts to pray. Jesus told of two men who went up and
the way they prayed. We know the story. How can we know if our prayer is
pleasing to God or not? The prophet Hosea, who spoke in God's name, said: “I
desire steadfast love and not sacrifice” (Hos 6:6). The prayers and sacrifices
we make to God mean nothing to him if they do not spring from a heart of love
for God and for one’s neighbor.
How can we expect God to
hear our prayers if we do not approach him with humility and with a contrite
heart that seeks mercy and forgiveness? We stand in constant need of God’s
grace and help. That is why Scripture tells us that “God opposes the proud but
gives grace to the humble” (Jam 4:6; Prov 3:34). Jesus’ parable speaks about
the nature of prayer and our relationship with God. It does this by contrasting
two very different attitudes towards prayer. The Pharisee represents pride in
religious practices, and the tax collector represents humility despised by the religious-minded.
God hears such a prayer because we seek God with humility rather than with
pride. From Hannah in Shiloh to Solomon in the temple, from Elijah on Mount
Carmel to the tax collector in Jesus’ story, true prayer has always been born
of humility and dependence on God. Hanna prayed, “O Lord of hosts, if you will
look upon the misery of your handmaid…” (1 Sam 1:11). King Solomon prayed, “Give
your servant an understanding heart to govern your people” (1 Kings 3:9). Elijah
prayed, “Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so that this people may know that you
are God.”
John Chrysostom says, “The
Pharisee prayed not to God, but to himself; he offered incense to his own
vanity.” St. John Damascene says, “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and
heart to God or the requesting of good things from God. But when we pray, do we
speak from the height of our pride and will, or 'out of the depths' of a humble
and contrite heart? (Ps 130:1). St Augustine interprets it as the very heart of
the Gospel, saying, “He who knows he is sick will seek the physician; the
confession of sin is the beginning of healing.” We are beggars before God. Only
when we humbly acknowledge that “we do not know how to pray as we ought,” are
we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. God’s ear bends toward the lowly. The proud
build towers; the humble build altars. And God descends not on towers, but on
altars. Let us pray today in that same spirit: “O God, be merciful to me, a
sinner.” And if we pray sincerely, humbly, truthfully —then like the tax
collector, we too will go home justified… our hearts filled with the peace that
only God can give.
“In Christ we learn how to pray — for He prayed for us, in us, and
by us” (St Ambrose)
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