Gospel: Luke 18:9-14
Jesus told another parable to some people, fully convinced of their own righteous- ness, who looked down on others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray; one was a Phar- isee, and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself, and said, ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people, grasping, crooked, adulterous, or even like this tax col- lector. I fast twice a week, and give a tenth of all my income to the temple.’
In the meantime the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’
I tell you, when this man went back to his house, he had been reconciled with God, but not the other. For whoever makes himself out to be great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be raised up.”

Lectio Divina
READ: Sirach in the first reading says that the prayer of the humble pierces the clouds. The gospel clearly illustrates this by way of a concrete example. God truly delights in humble prayers.
REFLECT: The Pharisee’s prayer is a litany of all the good he has done and of his faithfulness to his religious obligations. But all these he did to compare himself with others and to show how much better he had become unlike the rest. This kind of prayer is overbearing and self-righteous. When we compare ourselves with others, we will always find ourselves better and proud. We will always see what we have and what others lack. But when we look at ourselves put side by side with God, the whole picture will change and we will be humbled. We will always find that we lack in many ways.
PRAY: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
ACT: Avail of the sacrament of reconciliation within the week. Approach God in the sacrament in a spirit of humble recognition of his mercy and forgiveness.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019