AVOID HUMBLEBRAGGING: 30th Sunday C

Send us Fan MailBrothers and sisters, a word that is relevant and runs through our readings this sunday is the verb to "humblebrag". Humblebragging is defined by OD as the the act of making an ostensibly modest or self-deprecating statement with the actual intention of drawing attention to something of which one is proud.Basically letting others know not so subtly just how wonderful you really are, how fantastic your life is (especially compared to others!) but masking your claim to fame as humility. It’s bragging – while trying to pretend you’re not bragging… Church leaders are often confronted by those who assert that they don’t go to Church because it is full of hypocrites. There is the temptation to reply that there is always room for one more. But a better approach may be to refer them to today’s gospel reading, where we see some humblebragging occuring and which addresses hypocrisy in its various forms in a more subtle way. The gospel tells us we should be like the tax-collector. The tax collector is no humblebragger - Jesus does not say that the Tax-collector is a virtuous man. Jesus does not say that the tax collector is not a hypocrite in his own way. What is good about the tax collector, according to Jesus, is that he admits his faults and his hypocrisy, he is humble, and asks God for mercy. This is what Jesus asks of us all. Brothers and sisters, let us pray for the grace not to concern ourselves with what others do, but rather be humble, acknowledge our faults, failings, sinfulness and ask for God's pardon & mercy. Amen.  AMEN.Support the show