Word to the Wise
Sunday, October 24, 2010 - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
[Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18; 2 Timothy 4:6--8, 16-18; Luke 18:9-14]O God, be merciful to me, a sinner!
The Gospel of Luke has a number of parables of Jesus that are unique to it. Three of these (arguably a fourth, the Good Samaritan) involve sharp contrasts between two individuals who are almost like "types." - the stories of Lazarus and the Rich Man, the Prodigal Son(s) and, today, the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The contrasts are meant to have a strong impact, and they do! Generosity, forgiveness and humility are powerful forms of witness. A lack of those in a person can be ruinous to their relationship to God and neighbor. The parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector confronts us today. I have simply quoted the prayer of the tax collector, but I urge everyone to read the entire parable carefully. The simple words are important because Jesus says that these words, reflecting the interior disposition of the Tax Collector, are enough to "justify" him. The "thankful" boasting of the Pharisee is all for naught! Since I frequently encounter penitents in the Sacrament of Reconciliation who have trouble remembering the words of the Act of Contrition, I have begun to ask them to repeat a version of the Tax Collector's prayer which has come to be known as the "Jesus Prayer" : Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner! [The small guideline cards one finds occasionally in the confessional mention this as one of a number of "acts of contrition."] The parable is directed to those "convinced of their own righteousness and despise everyone else..." That "direction" might make us uncomfortable. Perhaps we might not be so boastful as the Pharisee, but we just might have some of that "righteousness" show up when we think about others that we compare ourselves to. Notice the words of the Pharisee that he is thankful that he is not like others, especially the Tax Collector! In general, "humility" gets a bad press because so many people see it as some kind of unhealthy self-abasement! We worry a lot about "self-esteem." Which of the two men do we identify with? It can make a big difference in how we pray! AMEN
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