Gospel Reflections for October 23 2016
That first look in the mirror
You get up in the morning, and not too long after that you see your face in the bathroom mirror. What is that like?
You are without your work clothes, or makeup, or even very awake. Like most of us, that is all the motivation you need to get yourself ready!
The Tax Collector in today’s Gospel wants to present himself to God exactly as he is, warts and all. He has no desire to cover anything up or pretend he is someone he is not. The Pharisee is different. He presents a false picture of himself to God, inflating his accomplishments, and exaggerating his virtues.
These two men represent the difference between good and bad mental health. Knowing who we actually are, is the mark of good mental health. Pretending to be someone we are not is a prescription for problems, conflicts, and relationships that go south.
The early followers of Jesus knew this well. They knew firsthand the words of Our Lord about honesty about ourselves no matter what. They decided to add an exercise of self-reflection at the beginning of every Mass, which they celebrated every day. It is called the Penitential Rite.
Every Mass begins with an invitation from the Priest to “call to mind our sins.” That is not meant to be a negative experience, but rather an exercise in healthy self-appraisal.
The priest’s words are formal but, in effect, say, “Before we continue with the scripture readings and the Eucharist, let us present ourselves to God as we actually are.” God looks down from heaven and says in response, “I already know all that about you, but now I am glad you know it too! Now we can continue an honest conversation at this mass.”
The early Church decided that we would acknowledge our true self while standing. We do not kneel in submission or stand on tip toes pretending to be taller. We stand …at our own true height before God …just as we are.
We will never be perfect, but we can always be honest. His unconditional love provides the courage we need to do just that.
We are surrounded by all kinds of people …at work, at school, at home, and even in our nation. Some may be honest and some not. However, despite their behavior, every Mass invites us to hold up a mirror in which we can see our own self as we truly are. That is a very healthy thing to do!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
I used to believe that the word “humble” meant insignificant, menial, of little value. But I have come to learn that the word actually means to know yourself, as you describe so clearly in your commentary. It means to realize your place in Creation as a child of God with the particular talents that He has given you. That can be a realization that you have a very elegant place in Creation, not a low place. Lord, help me to be humble.
Yes, humility is the actual truth of your self, neither more nor less.
Love your lovely interpretation as always Father Dave!!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee the beautiful thought that we are God’s beloved children and when we do wrong and sin and are truly sorry ,we can be lovingly forgiven in the beautiful sacrament of reconciliation!!! Then we can receive the most precious gift of our beautiful Jesus!!! and it all happens in our magnificent Mass of love and joy!!! Beautiful faith and it’s ours!! We are sooooooooooooooooo blessed!!! Thank you Father Dave for giving us our Jesus of love!!!
We loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee you!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeee Franca and Dick
Thank you!
I loved your thoughts. The penitential part at the beginning of Mass in the company of our fellow Catholics is a great leveler. Thank you.
I like you word, “leveler.” Well said!
Your comments were great. Constantly being honest with ourselves is a time for real growth. It isn’t always easy but the results are worth it.
Yes, the results are worth it!
Father Dave, your commentary really puts this gospel into perspective. I always believed that kneeling a while longer after receiving the Holy Eucharist was a humbling gesture. There was a priest at St. Paschal who often liked to start the mass using yoga breathing because it puts the mind in a contemplative state where we are more likely to connect with our Lord on deeper levels. I continue this practice every week at Mass. as it makes me feel I am offering myself to God in a pure and humble way.
All great ideas!
This actually strucked my thoughts. And yes you’re true Father Dave. “We are surrounded by all kinds of people …at work, at school, at home, and even in our nation.” But I can’t stand them all. I always act rude to them because I don’t like their attitudes. Is this the right thing to do ?
I think it is never right to be rude, even when people are rude to us. Our behavior does not depend on how others treat us. We treat people well …no matter what!