DAILY MEDITATION: “O God, be merciful to me...”

Liturgical day: Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (C)

Gospel text (Lk 18,9-14): Jesus 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 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.'

“O God, be merciful to me...”

Fr. Joan Pere PULIDO i Gutiérrez
(Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Spain)

Today, we read St. Luke's Gospel with special attention and interest. A parable addressed to our hearts. Words of life to reveal our human and Christian authenticity, which is based upon the meekness of realizing we are nothing but sinners: “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Lk 18, 13), and in God's mercy and goodness towards us: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted (Lk 18, 14).

Today, more than ever before, we need the authenticity to discover the self and emphasize the liberating reality of God's plan, in our lives and in our society. It is our right attitude if we desire the Verity of our faith to reach with all its strength today's men and women. Three are the axis that goes along with this evangelic authenticity: power, love and self-control (cf. 2Tim 1, 7).

Power, to be cognizant of God's word and keep it in our lives, no matter the difficulties. Especially, in our days, we must pay attention to this point, because in our environment there is plenty of self-deception. Saint Vincent de Lérins warned us: “Right now the rottenness of a new heresy starts spreading and this time, to justify itself, it takes over some verses from the Scriptures, which, on top of everything, are interpreted with falsehood and fraud.”

Love, to be able to look with tender eyes —that is, with God's eyes— at the person or event we have in front of us. Saint John Paul II encourages us to “promote a spirituality of communion”, that —among other things— indicates “above all the heart's contemplation of the mystery of the Trinity dwelling in us, and whose light we must also be able to see shining on the face of the brothers and sisters around us.”

And, finally, the self-control, to be able to transmit this Verity in today's language, really incarnating God's Word in our life: “They will believe in our deeds more than in any discourse” (St. John Chrysostom).

Source: evangeli.net