Oct. 27th

Post date: Oct 28, 2019 7:32:20 PM

October 27, 2019 Homily by Fr. Karl Schray

Surprise in Heaven:

I dreamt death came the other night

And Heaven gate’s swung wide

An Angel with halo bright

Ushered me inside.

And there to my astonishment

Stood folks I’d judged and labeled

As ‘quite unfit’, of little worth’

And spiritually disabled.

Indignant words rose to my lips,

But never were set free,

For every face showed stunned surprise—

Not one expected ME!

Five people go into church to pray: The first one says:

Thank you, Lord, that I have a good job. Mind you, I worked hard to get it

and to keep it. Every penny I have earned by the sweat of my brow.

I’m not like those others who sponge off society.

The second one prays: Thank you, Lord, that my kids are well-behaved.

I’m not saying they’re angels, but you won’t find them vandalizing property

or terrifying old people. Those kids are the criminals of tomorrow.

The third one prays: Thank you, Lord, that my marriage is working out.

Jim and I have had our problems, but we have stuck together.

Not like those others whose marriages are breaking up left and right. The first sign

of trouble and one or both are gone. They can’t take the rough with the smooth.

The fourth one prays: Thank you, Lord, that I can take a drink and leave it at that.

I’m not like those others who don’t know when to stop—they live at the bar.

They should all be locked up.

The fifth one doesn’t even go inside the church but says this prayer as he walks

by: Lord, I thank you that I am not like that crowd who go in there every Sunday

to worship you. They’re nothing but a bunch of hypocrites. They give each other a handshake as a sign of peace, and I know some of them aren’t even talking

to each other. At least I’m being honest.

I know I’m no saint, but then I don’t pretend to be.

The Pharisee in Jesus’ story was not a scoundrel. In fact, he was an honest, faithful family man, and a strict observer of the Law.

He did even more than the Law required—he fasted twice a week

instead of just once a year (The Day of Atonement).

He paid tithes on everything which was more than was required.

Where did he go wrong? First, in his attitude toward God.

He thought he had run up a tremendous credit balance with God;

but, God can never be in our debt. Secondly, in his attitude toward others—

he looked down on them. He was a proud man without much humility.

And humility is the soil in which all other virtues flourish.

The prayer of the tax collector is a model for all of us.

He prays simply: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

This is the most moving of all prayers and one that God cannot fail to hear. If we can say, ‘I’m a sinner’, with conviction and humility, we are very close to God.

May we put on the attitude and heart of Jesus so that

we overcome within us the attitude of the Pharisee

and are moved to pray with the heart of the tax collector.