3rd SATURDAY OF LENT - Gospel (Luke 18:9-14) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- Mar 16
- 6 min read
FIRST READING - Hos 6:1-6
"For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice."
A reading from the Book of Hosea
1 “Come, let us return to the Lord,
For it is he who has torn, but he will heal us;
he has struck down, but he will bind our wounds.
2 He will revive us after two days;
on the third day[a] he will raise us up,
to live in his presence.
3 Let us know, let us strive to know the Lord;
as certain as the dawn is his coming.
He will come to us like the rain,
like spring rain that waters the earth.”
4 What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your loyalty is like morning mist,
like the dew that disappears early.
5 For this reason I struck them down through the prophets,
I killed them by the words of my mouth;[b]
my judgment shines forth like the light.
6 For it is loyalty that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Lk 18:9-14
"I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former."
✠From the Gospel according to Luke
9 He then addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. 10 “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. 11 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. 12 I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ 13 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.’ 14 I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
3rd SATURDAY OF LENT - Gospel (Luke 18:9-14)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear people of God,
In today's Word of God, God teaches humanity two very practical lessons that are closely relevant to people of both the past and the present.
In the Church and in society, there always exists two types of people.
One type is arrogant, haughty, hypocritical, two-faced, insolent, overbearing, conceited, and self-important, thinking: 'I am holy, virtuous, I hold a high position, I can do this, I can do that.'
Beside them, there is another type of person who lives in a state of humiliation, shame, and self-consciousness, not daring to lift their head, living in self-pity, suffering, always acknowledging themselves to be sinful, poor, weak, and lowly, not daring to lift their head in arrogance but considering themselves as the vulnerable, those without status in society.
Between these two people, who is the one who knows how to rely on God and His authority?
It is the one who always knows how to acknowledge their own weak and lowly state, who does not dare to lift their face high to be insolent—to be proud, arrogant, and conceited—who does not dare to claim a high status or authority in society or in the Church.
These are the people who can be said to live in a way that pleases God, because they know how to rely on Him, cling to Him, run to Him, ask Him for grace, ask Him for protection, ask Him for support, and ask Him for safekeeping.
God needs broken hearts or suffering people who know how to run to Him and rely on Him, so that He may bind their wounds, heal them, comfort them, support them, and care for them.
God needs hearts that are repentant, remorseful for their sins, acknowledging themselves as the weak and lowly and having nothing before God the Father, nothing but a zero, a sinful child who knows how to rely on Him.
Through today's Word, God the Father also clearly shows humanity that the human world is falling into Satan's trap, which is living in luxury, indulgence, enjoyment, pride, arrogance, conceit, considering oneself holy and virtuous, considering oneself as having done many charitable deeds, being famous and known by many, being praised and honored by many.
Are these not the foolish ones before God the Father?
Children of God, return to Him. Do not live in indulgence, passion for power, status, fame, and sin, chasing after praise, chasing after authority, status, and fame.
Abandon that way of life to return and reconcile with God the Father, acknowledging yourself as a sinful, weak, and lowly person before God the Father.
Never despise others, never cast Jesus Christ out of your life, who suffered, was crucified, and died, and never forget that God is the One who abandoned His glory, honor, and throne in the high heavens to come down and join in the human condition of sinners, to accompany humanity, and to redeem us.
Be conscious of your sinful state again.
Who did God redeem when He came down to earth, sacrificed Himself, died, and rose again?
To redeem our very sinful selves, to redeem our sinful habits, to exchange His life for our eternal life, to exchange His death to bring eternal life to us.
It is for this reason that God the Father's word calls upon humanity today to be always vigilant and conscious that we are sinful and lowly human beings before the great authority of God the Father, before the light of His grace and truth.
Do not do anything that displeases God the Father anymore!
Do not disobey the holy will of God the Father anymore!
Do not go against His commands anymore!
Do not be disrespectful to God the Father anymore!
But on the contrary, fear God the Father in your thoughts, reflections, words, actions, and deeds, for God the Father knows everything.
Do not deceive God the Father! Do not live a double life before God the Father!
Do not live hypocritically before God the Father and your brothers and sisters anymore! Return to your heart.
Live truthfully from the inside out!
Be honest with God the Father and your brothers and sisters.
Only then will He pour out grace and peace upon you, along with a gentle, humble, self-effacing, and simple heart, so that you may live according to the light, grace, and wise reason that come from God the Father.
Otherwise, Satan will interweave his way into your reason, your will, your heart, and your mind in order to control you. You will become always arrogant, proud, always seeing yourself as a good, holy, and virtuous person. You will live in haughtiness, pride, controlling and despising others, comparing yourself to others, thinking you are holy, thinking you are virtuous, thinking you are better than others.
Those who live according to the ways of the world, according to human wisdom, make it very easy for Satan to take their souls out of their bodies and bring them to eternal hell, to be with Satan in eternal suffering.
In today's Word of God, God the Father calls upon humanity to awaken themselves against the enticements and temptations of Satan, renouncing all lustful passions, materialism, indulgence in pleasure, worldly glory, honor, and power.
Instead, we are to turn completely toward God the Father, serving Him, and worshipping Him with all simplicity, filial piety, and obedience to God the Father at all times and in all places.
We are to live in reverent fear of Him in all places and at all times, always acknowledging ourselves to be sinful and lowly, beating our chests in repentance for our sins before God the Father to plead with Him, asking Him to forgive our sins and to strengthen us, so that we may live and act in accordance with the holy will and teachings of God the Father, and absolutely not yield to the temptations of Satan regarding lust, self-interests, status, and worldly honor.
In today's Word of God, God the Father also makes it known to humanity that He does not require sacrifices or offerings. Rather, He requires a heart that loves God, fears God, and constantly obeys the holy will of God the Father in both great and small matters.
He does not desire grand or noble offerings if the heart does not place God the Father above all things, or if it lacks the love for one's neighbor as oneself.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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