In Need of God’s Mercy
30th Sunday in Ordinary Time-C
A spiritual writer said, “Whoever has an authentic spiritual life never feels superior to others, but he/she feels a great compassion grow within him/her that makes him/her feel in profound communion with everything and everyone, even with what is very far from him/her.” In our Gospel today, Jesus presents a parable about a Pharisee and a tax collector who went to the temple to pray. The Gospel opened with the reason for the parable: “Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.” What did the two praying characters in the parable do? The Pharisee began his prayer with thanksgiving to the Lord, but later on ended up comparing himself as someone much better, more righteous, more devout than the tax collector who was also praying near him. The tax collector, on the other hand, was beating his breast and without raising his eyes said a profound, simple, and humble prayer. In the end, Jesus gave the lesson that the tax collector went home justified, for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
Part of our reflection today is to ask ourselves: which of the two praying characters in the parable do we identify ourselves with? The Pharisee who is grateful for his righteousness, but unaware of his self-righteousness? Or the repentant tax collector, shamed by his sins? We may be wondering why our Lord claims it was the sinner who went home justified. The reason is that the righteous tend to take the credit for their goodness. They at times forget their need for God’s mercy. The prayer of the Pharisee was centered on himself, not on God. Instead of God as the one being honored, praised, and thanked, it was instead himself who was honored, praised, and thanked. This is how we were taught by Jesus when we pray the Our Father. We begin the prayer acknowledging God as our Father, and that His name is Holy, His Kingdom comes to us, and that His will is done on earth as in heaven. In every prayer moment, it is God who is the center, not ourselves.
For those who acknowledge that they are sinners always remember. And so they remain humble before the Lord, grateful for the second chances they have been given. Their prayer is focused not on themselves, but on God whose forgiveness, mercy, and love they most need. Those who recognize their need for God will have God with them and in them. When they have God in them, whenever they remember the many times that they have been forgiven from their sins and strengthened in moments of trial, they become understanding, accepting, and charitable with their brothers and sisters. They who have experienced God’s mercy will also be merciful. We can ask ourselves, how often do we go back to God and ask for His forgiveness and love? What were those events in my life that I concretely experienced God’s merciful embrace? We have heard and read stories of conversion in the lives of the saints. These are concrete examples of how they have allowed God’s grace to touch them, to heal them, and to transform them. Each one of us may have their own stories to tell. Let us then reflect and act on the reality that those who have an authentic spiritual life never feel superior to others, but they feel a great compassion grow within them that make them feel in profound communion with everything and everyone, even with what those very far from them.
Brothers and sisters, today’s Gospel is addressed also to each of us in one way or another, but most especially to those who are convinced of their own righteousness and despise everyone else. In those moments that we have been self-righteous, we ask for God’s forgiveness, echoing the prayer of the tax collector in the Gospel, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.” God’s mercy is vast and boundless. But the door to His mercy is small and narrow. We need to bow, humble ourselves, and make ourselves small in order to get through that door. If we exalt ourselves, we will be humbled. Only if we humble ourselves will we be exalted. In our prayer let us be aware of our need for God, for those who recognize their need for God will have God with them and in them. Whoever has an authentic spiritual life never feels superior to others, but he/she feels a great compassion grow within him/her that makes him/her feel in profound communion with everything and everyone, even with what is very far from him/her.
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