Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 23, 2022
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
My grandfather passed away last December. I remember his distinct gift for laughter the most. Known as a legendary storyteller, he always had a joke or play-on-words ready. His presence in my life was constant. He and my grandmother regularly traveled from Missouri to Kansas to visit my family—holidays were always spent together. But my grandfather’s most enduring impact stemmed from his humility.
As a young man, my grandfather experienced alcoholism. Each week for over four decades, my grandfather walked into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, introduced himself, and said, “I am an alcoholic.” He was nearing his forty-fifth anniversary of sobriety when he passed away.
Members of AA repeat the Twelve Steps daily. The steps begin with a recognition that “my life has become unmanageable,” and only by turning my will over to God can I begin anew. Even decades into recovery, members commit to a daily conversion, turning toward God and away from self-reliance and pride.
While not all of us are AA members, we are all, at times, the pharisee in today’s gospel—too secure in our pride. But in reality, our lives “are unmanageable” without God. We can be made whole only by following the tax collector’s example of crying out for God’s mercy.
Last December, my family gathered at my grandfather’s funeral. My aunts, uncles, cousins, and my grandfather’s five brothers and their families already made for a packed church. But as the ceremony began, more and more people started streaming in.
Members of the community, alcoholics in recovery, neighbors—all of whom were impacted by the humble service of my grandfather. In giving his life over to God daily, my grandfather had an impact far beyond what he ever imagined and beyond even what those closest to him realized.
I think of him daily, his memory reminding me that by relying on God, all things are possible.
Prayer
God of mercy and compassion, you justify the humble and humble the self-exalted. Look upon us poor sinners with the gaze of your love. Grant us the wisdom to recognize our sins. Convict our hearts so that we make seek true contrition. Fill us with a burning zeal for conversion, and bestow on us the grace to seek your forgiveness. O God, be merciful to me a sinner! Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. John of Capistrano, nicknamed the “soldier saint,” helped liberate Belgrade from a military siege at the age of seventy.
John was born in Capistrano, Italy, in 1385, and studied law. After practicing as a lawyer in the courts of Naples, he was appointed the governor of Perugia. During a war with a neighboring city, he was imprisoned. During his imprisonment, John began to study theology, and when he was released in 1416, he forswore his secular profession and entered a Franciscan community at Perugia.
John studied with St. James of the March and St. Bernardine of Siena, and, through their guidance and his theological training, grew into a brilliant preacher. John's reputation as a charismatic and powerful preacher grew. John traveled throughout Europe and Russia preaching to large crowds and helping to establish Franciscan communities.
When John was well into old age, at the age of seventy, the Holy Roman Empire was facing the daunting military power of the Ottoman Empire. Both Rome and Vienna were under threat of siege. Thus, John was commissioned by Pope Callixtus III to incite in his enthralled audiences' interest in a crusade to oppose the invasion. Extending his leadership beyond simply the pastoral sphere, John also served as a leader in the defense of Belgrade and marched at the head of 70,000 soldiers who won a decisive victory in Belgrade in 1456. John died only three months later.
St. John of Capistrano has a unique presence in the New World as well. In 1776, Spanish Franciscan missionaries built a mission in southern California and named it San Juan Capistrano. The stone church they erected is the oldest building still in use in California. It is the only surviving structure that has documented proof that St. Junipero Serra celebrated Mass here. For a long time, that church was the largest building in Southern California. One unusual tradition surrounding the mission church is a celebration involving the American cliff swallow. The church was located next to two rivers, providing an abundance of insects for the birds. Each year, the swallows journey six thousand miles to Argentina for the winter and travel back in the spring. Their return is welcomed with a famous celebration, Fiesta de las Golondrinas, which takes place on March 19, the feast of St. Joseph.
St. John of Capistrano is the patron saint of military chaplains and of those who work as judges and in various legal professions. Some of his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
St. John of Capistrano, patron saint of military chaplains and judges—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. John of Capistrano is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 4, 2024.