TRUE PRAYER FLOWS FROM A HUMBLE HEART

Homily for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

Bible Texts: Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14

For some weeks now, our liturgical readings have been a series of Jesus’ teachings on prayer. Today, using the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Jesus teaches us another crucial lesson: that true prayer flows from a humble heart.

The Gospel reading (Luke 18:9-14) presents two men who went up to the Temple to pray. Now, both are religious, both are praying, yet their prayers lead to two opposite outcomes - one leaves justified, the other condemned. The Pharisee’s prayer is filled with words, but empty of worship, just like some of our prayers. He stands before God, not in need, but in pride, comparing himself to others and congratulating himself on his religious performance. His prayer begins with “God, I thank you,” but it quickly turns into “I am not like the rest of men.” It is a prayer not addressed to God but to himself. Jesus tells us that such prayer - rooted in self-righteousness - cannot touch the heart of God, because it leaves no room for grace.

The tax collector, on the other hand, stands far off, not daring even to lift his eyes to heaven. His whole prayer consists of one humble plea: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” There is no self-defense, no comparison, no merit claimed - only an honest acknowledgment of his sinfulness and total dependence on God’s mercy. And Jesus declares that he, not the Pharisee, went home justified. This is the heart of Christian prayer. The one who comes before God with humility leaves filled with grace; the one who comes boasting of his own righteousness leaves empty.

This teaching confirms the wisdom of the first reading from Sirach (35:12-14, 16-18), which reminds us that “the prayer of the humble pierces the clouds.” God is a just judge who shows no partiality but listens to the cry of the lowly, the orphan, and the widow. He is moved not by eloquence but by sincerity of heart. The humble prayer that arises from a contrite spirit reaches heaven because it aligns with the very nature of God, who is “gentle and lowly of heart.” Pride, on the other hand, builds a wall between the soul and God; humility opens the way for divine mercy to enter.

The second reading from 2 Timothy (4:6–8, 16–18) beautifully complements this lesson. St Paul, nearing the end of his life, looks back not with pride but with gratitude: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” His confidence is not in his achievements but in God’s faithfulness - “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.” Paul’s humility is the mature fruit of prayerful communion with God. He recognizes that every victory in his life was grace, not merit. Like the tax collector, he entrusts himself entirely to divine mercy.

Dear brother and sister, the lesson today is clear and timeless: prayer that pleases God is born from humility. Worship or prayer is not a platform for self-display but a place of self-surrender. It does not exalt the self but magnifies the mercy of God. The closer we come to God, the more we see our need for Him. When we pray with a humble heart, whether we are Pharisee or tax collector, priest or penitent, we open ourselves to justification, healing, and peace.

As we approach the altar of the Lord today, let us echo the prayer of the tax collector: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Amen.