RBWords

     The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus addressed the parable contained in today's gospel scripture to "those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else."  It is a powerful story.  The words of the tax collector have been preserved in a prayer known as "the Jesus Prayer:"  "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner."  I often ask penitents in the sacrament of Reconciliation to repeat that prayer after me instead of rushing through a memorized Act of Contrition.  Jesus makes it clear that this humble prayer "justified" the tax collector, while the boasting and smug righteousness of the Pharisee was to no avail.

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     There is a common indignant question we ask someone who does something we don't like:  "Who do you think you are?"  We can turn this indignant question into a positive one in Lent.  Just who DO we think we are?  How would we voice our conclusion in prayer?  Would we be closer to the tax collector, or to the Pharisee.  Would we say something like, "I may not be perfect, but parts of me are excellent?"  The Pharisee might have been OK if he hadn't said, "like the rest of humanity...or even like this tax collector."  However, it was his conviction of his own righteousness that led him to disdain everyone else.  His "prayer" was not worthy of the name.  When we ask ourselves who we think we are, it will also be important to ask how our vision of ourselves impacts our neighbor!   Jesus makes it clear that humility is the only way to exaltation.  AMEN