Episode 3183: The Feminization of the Church: Restoring Authentic Order in Christ

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Book Recommendation of the Day
St. Hyacinth of Poland: The Miraculous Saint Who Transformed Poland
Independently Published (2025)
• A more recent biography presenting St. Hyacinth as a fearless missionary, miracle-worker, and dynamic evangelist.
• Portrays his courage in the face of danger and his unwavering devotion to spreading Gospel light across nations in crisis.
Humility Before God
Introduction
My dear faithful listeners, welcome to this episode on the 10th Sunday after Pentecost. Today’s liturgy confronts us with a vital truth at the heart of the Christian life: humility. The Church, through her readings and prayers, teaches us that humility is the very soil in which grace grows. Without humility, pride blinds us to God’s mercy; but with humility, our souls are made open to His gifts.
The missal reminds us that Christian humility is not merely about modesty of words or outward gestures, but about attributing everything good in us to God and nothing to ourselves. As today’s Epistle and Gospel make clear, the Holy Ghost distributes gifts as He wills, and God accepts the humble publican while rejecting the proud Pharisee. Let us now turn to the sacred scriptures of today’s Mass.
Epistle – 1 Corinthians 12:2–11
"Brethren: You know that when you were heathens, you went to dumb idols, according as you were led. Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man, speaking by the Spirit of God, saith Anathema to Jesus. And no man can say The Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost. Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in all. And the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit. To one indeed, by the Spirit, is given the word of wisdom; and to another, the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit; to another, faith in the same Spirit; to another, the grace of healing in one Spirit; to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the discerning of spirits; to another, diverse kinds of tongues; to another, interpretation of speeches. But all these things one and the same Spirit worketh, dividing to every one according as He will."
Reflection on the Epistle
St. Paul reminds us that every grace, every gift, and every charism comes from the Holy Ghost. None of these are achievements of human effort alone, but divine gifts to build up the Body of Christ. The Corinthians, like many of us today, were tempted to pride in spiritual gifts valuing tongues, prophecy, or knowledge as marks of superiority.
The Church pairs this reading with today’s Gospel to show us the heart of the matter: no gift of the Spirit can bear fruit without humility. As the missal commentary notes, “Our salvation is an impossible task without aid. It is almighty grace that lifts us.” To boast in ourselves is to act as though grace is our possession; but to live in humility is to acknowledge that everything good flows from God alone.

Gospel – Luke 18:9–14
"At that time, Jesus spoke this parable also to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give Thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican. I fast twice in the week: I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. I say to you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: because everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
Reflection on the Gospel
Here, Our Lord presents a striking contrast. The Pharisee appears righteous he fasts, tithes, and avoids grave sins but his heart is swollen with pride. He “prayed thus with himself,” St. Luke tells us. His prayer was not to God, but to his own vanity.
The publican, on the other hand, offered the simplest of prayers: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” He dared not lift his eyes, but humbled himself before the Lord. And it was he, not the Pharisee, who was justified.
This lesson is timeless. How often do we, like the Pharisee, compare ourselves to others and congratulate ourselves for not being “as bad”? True humility is not self-hatred but the recognition of who we are before God creatures utterly dependent on His mercy. This is why the missal highlights that humility alone “can develop those dispositions by which the power of Christ comes to rest upon us.”
The Feast Day Context
On this 10th Sunday after Pentecost, the Church reminds us through the Breviary lessons of King Joas: how he began his reign in humility and justice but later turned to pride and idolatry. This serves as a warning that humility must not only begin our Christian life, but must remain the foundation until the end.
Application to Our Lives
• Humility in Prayer: Let our prayers not be self-congratulations but cries of dependence upon God.
• Humility in Gifts: Whatever talents, knowledge, or positions we have are gifts of the Spirit, meant for service, not self-exaltation.
• Humility in Salvation: Just as the Pharisee left condemned despite his outward practices, so too can we if we lack humility. Meanwhile, even the greatest sinner can be exalted by God’s mercy when he bows low before Him.
Conclusionary Prayer
Let us close with prayer:
O Lord Jesus Christ, who didst exalt the lowly publican and humble the pride of the Pharisee, grant us the grace to imitate true humility in all our prayers and works. May we never boast of the gifts Thou hast given, but attribute all to Thee, the source of every good. Send us Thy Holy Ghost, to strengthen us in humility, patience, and charity, that we may be exalted on the last day through Thy mercy. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Humility, keep us faithful and lowly of heart until we come to share in Thy heavenly glory. Amen.