10 'Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood there and said this prayer to himself, "I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like everyone else, and particularly that I am not like this tax collector here.
12 I fast twice a week; I pay tithes on all I get."
13 The tax collector stood some distance away, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven; but he beat his breast and said, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."
14 This man, I tell you, went home again justified; the other did not. For everyone who raises himself up will be humbled, but anyone who humbles himself will be raised up.'
Reflection
"I thank you, God, that I am not grasping, unjust, adulterous like everyone else." These are the words that struck me. Coming from a Pharisee who is known to be self-righteous and despised others that do not belong to their group... Jesus desires him to be aware of his weaknesses.
We, as a people of God tend to be judgmental of others weaknesses. But Jesus in His own mercy, awakens our soul, that we are always dependent on His mercy. Let us therefore always be remindful of ourselves to pray unceasingly, with eyes to heaven and beating our breast saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."
No comments:
Post a Comment