Dominica X Post Pentecosten — III Augusti
Readings: 1 Corinthians 12:2–11; Luke 18:9–14
On this Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Holy Mother Church presents to us two readings that beautifully complement one another, exposing both the diversity of graces within the Body of Christ and the singular virtue that allows those graces to bear fruit: humility.
I. “No man can say the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Cor. 12:3)
St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, reminds them—and us—that the gifts of the Spirit are varied, but the Giver is one. Each gift, whether wisdom, healing, prophecy, or tongues, proceeds from the same divine Source and serves the common good. It is not by merit, but by divine appointment, that each soul receives his portion. As St. John Chrysostom remarks in his homily on this passage:
“Paul did not simply say that there are diversities of gifts, but added, ‘but the same Spirit,’ to show that there is one source. That you may not think highly of yourself, he attributes the whole to the Spirit.”
— Homily 29 on First Corinthians
We are reminded that boasting in spiritual gifts is a profound misunderstanding of their purpose. They are not medals of personal holiness but tools for building up the Church. The Corinthians had fallen into the error of exalting certain charisms over others, forgetting that all such powers originate in God alone.
II. “O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men” (Luke 18:11)
In stark contrast to the Spirit-filled humility of the true Christian is the Pharisee in Our Lord’s parable. While he appears to pray, he in fact praises himself. This is not a prayer that rises to heaven, but a boast dressed in piety. St. Augustine exposes the underlying fault:
“He who glories in himself and not in God, glories in what he falsely supposes to be his own.”
— Sermon 115
The Publican, by contrast, says but few words—“O God, be merciful to me a sinner”—yet his prayer ascends like incense. He makes no claim, offers no resume of virtues. He lays himself bare before God in humble truth. And the Lord declares that he, not the Pharisee, went down to his house justified.
The juxtaposition of these two men encapsulates the lesson from St. Paul: every good gift comes from God, and only the humble heart can receive it rightly.
III. The Liturgy’s Wisdom: Linking Grace with Humility
The liturgy of this Sunday subtly but powerfully interweaves these readings into a coherent message. The Epistle speaks of the varied gifts of the Spirit; the Gospel reminds us that only the humble heart is fit to bear those gifts. As Dom Guéranger observes in The Liturgical Year:
“The Church, guided by the Holy Ghost, gives us today the most essential lesson for Christian life: grace is offered to all, but it bears fruit only in the soil of humility.”
This is why the Collect of the day prays that we, “being governed by [God’s] providence in body and soul, may be delivered from all adversities.” That providence is not merely external but internal: the governance of the soul by the grace of the Holy Ghost.
IV. For Our Imitation
Let us ask: where do we find ourselves in today’s Gospel? Are we tempted, like the Pharisee, to tally our virtues and compare ourselves to others? Or do we, like the Publican, approach the altar of God with bowed head and contrite heart?
Let us also examine how we view the gifts of others within the Church. Are we envious of those with visible charisms? Or do we rejoice that the Spirit is at work, diversely and beautifully, throughout the Body?
In imitation of the Publican and in obedience to St. Paul’s teaching, let us pray:
“Veni Sancte Spiritus. Come, Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Thy love. Enlighten our minds with Thy gifts, but make us ever mindful that without Thee we are nothing. Give us the humility to see ourselves rightly, the charity to rejoice in others’ gifts, and the grace to bear much fruit for Thy glory.”