Compared to Kardashians

Comparing ourselves to the Holy One not humans

03/13/2021

Luke 18:9-14 Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. 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. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ 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.’ 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.”

Comparing ourselves to others can really motivate us, but it can also really mislead us. For example, comparing myself to others really motivated me when I was in high school. When I was in elementary school, I did not care much about making good grades; and it showed. I only made B’s and C’s. When I entered Catholic High School, Fr. Tribou put the rankings of each class by grades on his office door every 9 weeks. I noticed I was ranked lower than another student whom I didn’t think was that smart. So what did I do? I worked my tail off the next 9 weeks in order to pass him. I finally graduated ranked 9th in a class of 177 boys, mostly motivated because I compared myself to others.

On the other hand, comparing ourselves to others can mislead us into a false sense of security or even superiority. When we are accepted into a prestigious university or Ivy League college we may feel we are smarter or savvier than others. But that is not always the case. Here are a few famous Americans who never completed college, and some names may surprise you. John D. Rockefeller who founded the Standard Oil Company, and whose name is on a lot of buildings because of his philanthropy, only finished high school.

Racheal Ray, who’s famous for food, cooking shows and cookbooks, never attended college. Steve Jobs only took one semester of college before dropping out, and together with his friend, Steve Wozniak, started the tech giant called Apple. And the list goes on and on with notable names like Henry Ford, Dave Thomas, and Kim Kardashian. I love the Kardashians! Can you see how comparing ourselves can motivate us but it can also mislead us?

We see another illustration of how comparing ourselves to others can mislead in the gospel today. A Pharisee and a tax-collector both go to the Temple to pray and they both do a little comparison test, comparing themselves to others. The Pharisee prays: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity – greedy, dishonest, adulterous – or even like this tax-collector.” The Pharisee felt superior because he compared himself to others, like I felt superior because I was ranked higher than others in high school.

Notice, however, how the tax-collector also compares himself, not to others, but to God. He prays: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” In other words, the tax-collector realized that in God’s holy presence we are all unholy, we are sinners, and we must ask for mercy. The tax-collector remembered Gn 1:26, where it says we are created in God’s image and likeness. We are created like God and therefore we must strive to be more like God, but we fall short because of our sins.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen said when we look at a painting by candle light in a dark room we think it is beautiful. When we take it out into the bright sunlight, we see its flaws and imperfections. The Pharisee was comparing himself to the candlelight of the Kardashians and felt superior, but he should have compared himself to God, the “Trihagion,” “the Holy, Holy, Holy One” in Is 6:3 and Rv. 4:8. Standing before God, we are all sinners.

The season of Lent offers us an opportunity to reexamine how we compare ourselves to others. That is, we should stop comparing ourselves to human beings and start comparing ourselves to the Holy One, or better to Jesus Christ. For example, when we go to confession, it is tempting to mention the sins of our spouse. We say, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. But my sins are nothing compared to what my husband does! Let me tell you about the Kardashians – they’re really bad!”

Instead, we should take the painting of our life and, rather than look at it by candlelight, bring it under the bright sunlight, that is, under the Light of the Son, Jesus Christ. When we go to confession we are to compare ourselves to Jesus, the Trihagion, the Holy, Holy, Holy One, before whom we stand as sinners and as rebels. The only attitude we can adopt is that of the tax-collector, who beat his breast and begged: “O Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!