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.”
REFLECTION
“Oh, God, be merciful to me a sinner”.
We are pilgrims —travelers. I am on a journey. I meet a lot of people and see a lot of the world. Will they help me reach my destination.... Heaven… eternity with God?
As I travel these dusty roads, in sickness, mistrusts, hurts, worldly affections, I meet up with the Devil and his crew every day. I forget that JOY is my destination.
The Lenten journey might seem long and we find that we are becoming like the Pharisees—taking our focus off of God and onto ourselves with the self satisfaction of how well we are doing, all the good deeds we have performed, how we fast and lost all that weight, etc. Prayers become a monologue.
This is where our priests help us.
Pray that our spiritual fathers are good examples on how to go after God, deny ourselves, take up our crosses and return to the Lord. May their counsel in confession and their gentle voices help us find our way back to Him.
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