Gospel Reflection Oct 26 – Fr. Black
Sunday, October 26
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 18: 9-14
Gospel:
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.”
Gospel Reflection:
In today’s gospel, we have two people who are praying in the temple. Everything about them is different. One is a Pharisee, the other is a tax collector. One is known to the people as an upright, follower of the rules, the other is considered a thief and an overall dishonest man. Yet both are praying. Everything about their prayer is likewise very different. The Pharisee is up front, standing proud of his achievements. The tax collector is in the back, eyes cast downward and aware of his failings. With all these differences, perhaps the most striking and the most consequential is in their attitude. The Pharisee is relying on his own achievements, his own good works. The tax collector is relying on the mercy of God. Jesus tells us “the latter went home justified.” It is not our own achievements that saves us, rather it will always be the mercy of God.
Father Black