October 26 th, 2025 (30 Sunday Ordinary C)

Dear brothers and sisters, when we recognize that we are poor and pray to God our prayer is immediately heard because God listens to the cry of the weak and of the oppressed. If we instead approach God with entitlement and pride God cannot listen to our prayer because in truth, we do not need God, we believe we can do it on our own. This is the problem of the prayer of the Pharisee. The prayer of the Pharisee remains to the ground, it is not heard, because as Christ says, “he was convinced of his own righteousness and despised everyone else.”  The problem the Pharisee has is the problem we all have. The Pharisee thinks to be better than everyone else. We too always believe that we are right, and the other is wrong and that we know better. Because of our enormous pride it is very difficult for us to see our own poverty. That is why we judge everybody like the Pharisee and despise others. Today Christ would like to destroy our immense pride and give us humility. Humility is the truth. If we are truthful, like the publican we should not even raise our eyes up to heaven but beat our breast saying, “O God be merciful to me a sinner.” The truth is we are all sinners, very poor people. If truly we see ourselves as sinners and the depth of our sin and faults, we won’t judge anyone and, in our poverty, we will have no demands or entitlements. God as soon as he sees humility listens to our prayer and justifies us. The prayer of the humble one reaches to heaven and pierces the heart of God and God listens to him. 

Peace, Fr. Nicholas, Pastor