Everyone Is Created Differently

𝐎𝐂𝐓. 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈: 𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝟑𝟓:𝟏𝟐-𝟏𝟒, 𝟏𝟔-𝟏𝟖

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟑𝟒:𝟐-𝟑, 𝟏𝟕-𝟏𝟖, 𝟏𝟗, 𝟐𝟑 “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫.”

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐈: 𝟐 𝐓𝐢𝐦 𝟒:𝟔-𝟖, 𝟏𝟔-𝟏𝟖

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐊 𝟏𝟖:𝟗-𝟏𝟒

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: “𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒅.” (𝒗.14) 

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘

         Today we are treated to another lesson on humility, and we see this in the examples of the Pharisees and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray. We also see in this parable of Jesus that no two persons are alike because even for twins there will be a thing or two that makes one different from the other. And this Gospel passage is a beautiful lesson not only on the manner with which we are to pray but also in the way that we get on with our lives.

         Yesterday, we read about the ancient Jews who equated the signs of the times with just about everything that happen in their lives. They searched for signs to prove that Jesus was indeed the Messiah who had been foretold in the Scriptures

         And today, as we await with anticipation the coming of the next liturgical Season Jesus gives us a timely lesson through this parable that will help us establish our identities as Christian disciples. While all created beings were created in the image and likeness of God (𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝟏:𝟐𝟔) each one of us is unique and one-of-a-kind. One very remarkable proof of our uniqueness is that no two people have the same fingerprints or ears for that matter.

         But what really makes us different from the person beside us is something that we cannot see but which God sees – our souls. This is what makes us unique and different. God gave us different gifts, and we are to make use of these gifts for the upbuilding of the body of Christ to which we are grafted.

         Sadly, however, it is also our being distinct to one another that sometimes moves us to compare ourselves with others and we may not be aware that 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒔 has already afflicted us especially if this attitude turns into a habit.

         To think that we are better, smarter and more talented than others should not be regarded as just a feeling or an opinion because this attitude is most certainly rooted in envy which is a sin. Perhaps we are envious of our neighbor over a new car, his job that fetches a higher salary than yours, a new designer dress, a branded bag, or it could even be an inheritance.

         What we may not be aware of is that if we persist in doing this, comparisonitis will only lead us to a loveless and heartless pursuit of life. In other words, we will turn into a “𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭-𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬” person instead of being Christ-like which is supposed to be our original nature and identity. We must confront this attitude if ever this is happening to us and the worst that could happen is to turn away and be in denial because if we do that, we are teetering on the edge of living a loveless life. 

         Those afflicted with this disease are those who are fueled by vanity and their incessant desire to seek admiration for themselves and belittling others in the process. But comparisonitis is not a new disease. It is an ancient disease and can be traced all the way to the time of Jesus as we read in this parable.

        This was the reason why St. Paul recognized how deadly this disease and has given us an antidote when he said: “𝑫𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖.” (𝑹𝒐𝒎 12:3) What Paul was saying was that we should not see ourselves as how others see us but how God sees us.

         In effect, what is important is how God will define us and God is not particular about our gender, ethnicity, family heritage, possessions, achievements, titles because these are not important to God. And it’s all about how willing are we to allow the Grace of God to be at work in us (𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟓:𝟏𝟎).

         Jesus is thus using this parable to teach us the real value of prayer as he pointed to the Pharisee who went to the church in this parable “𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇: 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒏 – 𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒓𝒔 – 𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒂𝒙 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓. 𝑰 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒂 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒈𝒆𝒕.” (𝒗𝒗.11-12)

         The Pharisee that Jesus cited in this parable did not actually go to God to pray as he not only prayed with himself, but he went to the Temple to inform God of what he does while at the same time comparing himself with those around him whom he believes were irreligious.

         What this Pharisee forgot was the most basic premise of prayer which is to pray with humility acknowledging our own weakness and unworthiness. “𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒔; 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍; 𝑵𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘 𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔.” (𝑺𝒊𝒓 35:21) Prayer is in itself an act of humility, for by it we testify a sense of our dependence upon the Lord who rules the heaven above and earth below.

         In other words, we should assume the position of a beggar knocking at the door of the Almighty God our Father just as the Tax Collector did standing at a distance who did not even look up to heaven “𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅, ‘𝑮𝒐𝒅, 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒓.” (𝒗.13)        

         The difference between these two characters in this parable was that the Tax Collector knew how despised he was and how others looked at him and he looked to God so that he could see himself properly and his admission of his sin brought God’s forgiveness and restoration upon him. Self-righteousness as what the Pharisee did is a dangerous preoccupation because it not only leads to pride, but it makes us despise others that prevents us from hearing what God is telling us.

         The Tax Collector was showing us the path we need to take to discover our real identity for it is only in being honest with ourselves that we can become more like Christ. Just like the Tax Collector, we should know that humility is the proper attitude before God and it also prevents us from depending too much on our own strengths especially in the way we relate to others including those who exercise pastoral authority over us.

         What I also found interesting in this Gospel passage was that the humility of the Tax Collector made his prayer direct and honest and though I highlighted the negative aspect of making comparison, I also cannot help but compare the attitude of the Tax Collector with those who are fond of lengthy and verbose type of prayers.

         The coming Season of Advent which is about a month away would be a great opportunity for all of us to become content in the knowledge that we are unique. We must come to terms of who we are and the purpose for which God made us for “𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈” (𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒗 3:13).        

         God didn’t make us to become a carbon copy of the person beside us. God’s desire if for us to become the best of what we can be with the gifts that he has entrusted to us. And one of the ways to become what God intended us to be is to develop the character traits of Jesus – his love and compassion, honesty, integrity, credibility, and above all his humility and obedience. And we must keep in mind that our calling is to serve others and not to impress others and that takes humility. (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 - 𝘖𝘤𝘵. 26, 2025)