DAILY GOSPEL AND COMMENTARY: THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN. Lk 18:9–14
Saturday, 3rd week of Lent
He then 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.
GOSPEL COMMENTARY
The parable presents two contrasting types of attitude and prayer:
the Pharisee, who brags of his meticulous and external fulfilment of the Law, taking “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’”; and the tax collector, or publican looked on as a public sinner (cf. Lk 19:7), who “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.’”
The Pharisee’s prayer was not pleasing to God. Although he begins thanking God, it is not an authentic gratitude because his prayer is more of a boastful enumeration of his merits and good works. Worse still, he compares himself to others, despising them: a proclamation of his self-righteousness which has its root in pride which made him incapable of acknowledging his sins and thus loses the possibility of being pardoned by God. On the other hand, the publican approached God aware of his unworthiness and repentant for his sins. His humble attitude and prayerwon God’s heart, praise and forgiveness as well.
Dear brethren in Christ, let us ask God for the indispensable virtue of humility if we want to live for God and if we want God to live in us. Let us ask for this virtue so that we and our prayers would be pleasing to God. Let us not forget that “Prayer is the humility of the man who acknowledges his profound wretchedness and the greatness of God. He addresses and adores God as one who expects everything from Him and nothing from himself (St. Josemaria, Furrow, n. 259).”
“If you ask me what is the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ, i shall reply: first humility, second humility and third humility” (St. Augustine, Letter 118). Why? Because HUMILITY IS THE FOUNDATION, THE BASIS OF ALL VIRTUES, including that of LOVE. HUMILITY IS THE FOUNDATION OF LOVE, THE HABITAT OF CHARITY.
“I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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