30TH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR 25

30th SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2025: SIR 35. 15-17, 20-22; 2 TIM 4. 6-8, 16-18; LUKE 18. 9-14 Thrust: Humbly righteous! Indicative: Lack of humility makes one self-righteous. And self-righteousness is a big block on the way to righteousness 1. Our God is a God of righteousness. In Him, there is no partiality or prejudice. God in His Son Jesus redeemed us and made us righteous. He wants to keep us continually righteous. That is why He wants to liberate us from falsity, deviation, and perversion of sin. He wants to make us right and upright. 2. But self-righteousness is a big block to this righteousness. Self-righteousness is a mindset that makes one full of self. Consequently one cannot make enough space for God, for the true self, and others. Self-righteousness makes one self-centered and not God-centered, ego-dominated, and ego-promoting. 3. It makes one so proud and arrogant. Consequently, one is not humble before God and remains closed, presumptuous, and pretentious. One is not able to detect his false self and discover and foster his true self. And one is also not able to recognise, accept and appreciate others with their goodness. 4. What then is the remedy and antidote? It is humility that is threefold, namely, toward God, self, and others. We need that humility that makes us conscious of God’s holiness and greatness, realise and admit our sinfulness and unworthiness, see His mercy and forgiveness, depend on Him, take us closer to Him, and be surrendered to His holy will and ways. As Sirach affirms, “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds…it reaches the Lord… the Most High visits him and does justice.” 5. St Paul’s words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, and I await the crown of righteousness,” may sound rather boastful and presumptuous. But they actually disclose his depth of authenticity and conviction. It is not confidence in his merit. Rather it is the deepest faith in God’s righteousness. 6. There is in fact an implicit humility. This makes Paul attribute to God’s grace all that he accomplished, and do everything for God. That is why we find such expressions as “I am poured out as a libation”; “The Lord, the righteous judge will award to me”; “But the Lord alone stood by me and strengthened me”; “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom”; “To him be the glory forever and ever.” 7. Then, we need that humility toward our own self. It enables us to see ourselves as we are. It makes us sincere enough to acknowledge our weaknesses and imperfections. True humility makes us throw away our false layers and masks that sheathe, hide, justify or defend our defects. It makes us discover and strengthen our true self, in God’s image and likeness. 8. Thus, on one hand, true humility keeps us down to earth in virtue of our fragility and on the other hand makes us soar high to grow in nobility. This happens through a steady process of self-realisation, self-acceptance, self-discipline, self-renewal, and self-transformation. 9. We need that humility in regard to others that makes us fraternal and charitable. One who is humble does recognize the dignity and the value of the other and so treats him with respect and honour. He does not despise or discard or degrade the other. He does not stick false labels on others in prejudice and discrimination. He readily acknowledges and appreciates the worth of the other. 10. In our parable at hand, the Pharisee is a symbol of self-righteousness. He is a total failure in humility in all three aspects, concerning God, self, and the other. He failed in the spirit of true devotion and communion with God. He failed in the true spirit of authenticity and integrity of self. He failed in the true spirit of fraternity and charity toward others. 11. On the other side, the tax collector stands as an example of deep humility: he realises his unworthiness due to sinfulness, realises his true self that needs to be renewed, and is truly charitable with no bias or judgmental attitude. 12. So sad it is that the self-righteous Pharisee resides in all of us in varying degrees but many are not even aware of it. And even if aware, they refuse to admit it; even if admitted, they are not bothered to work to change for the better. Money, power, position, competence and efficiency, and recognition make many self-conceited, arrogant, and self-glorifying. Direction: Loss of humility is loss of nobility and thus is the loss of fidelity, felicity, serenity, and eternity