“I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former”

Today at Holy Mass we hear in the Gospel of St Luke a message I must listen too very carefully! - Why? - Because I find myself saying far too often...…”Those people”…..This is the statement made by the Pharisee today who is convinced of his own righteousness - And “everyone else is a mess” except for him….I find myself sadly making similar claims…This gospel for me is very convicting - How about for you?…..”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”…….As practicing Catholics who take their faith seriously, its very easily to fall into this trap set for us by the devil….We evaluate the sins of others against the good choices we have made and get angry - At least I do - “Why” do these people not “get it!”…..”Your bad choices are effecting me and my family!”…..I cannot speak for the reader of this reflection but these are the statements I think as well as come out of my mouth often….While we may have made good choices in life, we often forget that we are still sinners….And that all the good choices we made was the result of God’s grace…..Where would we be without God’s grace?….Where would we be without the love of our families?….Where would we be without the help and support of our parents?……To be very honest and I can only speak for myself - I would probably be much worse than the people I have issues with and rail against…Jesus tells us very clearly in Scripture….”For he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust”……At the root of “my problem” with others - I forget the the goal is heaven….I say all the time that I “know the goal” - But do I really?……..Our life is a journey back to God and part of that journey will be uncomfortable - God allows it to be that way at times - Difficult times and difficult people are opportunities to grasp a firmer grip on the true goal - Heaven…..But we want heaven on earth - Even practicing Catholics! - We say otherwise but when hard times come because of bad choices of “those people” - How quickly we lose of charity!……Today in the Gospel from Mass Jesus juxtaposes the bad attitude of the Pharisee with a public sinner who knows he is doing wrong but is sincere in asking for God’s mercy…..”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.”……Jesus clearly was not impressed by all the “things” the Pharisee did in the name of God….Why was Jesus not impressed? - Because the Pharisee exalted himself and not God as a result of his religious practices…The Pharisee forget that he was a sinner too….Ultimately, as practicing Catholics, who try very hard to do right by God and his Church - We too must not fall into this trap that the Pharisee fell into today in the Gospel….We must learn to be patient with others…To lead by example….To bear with the faults of others…To be kind in the face of difficulties and difficult people…..All these actions require grace! - And everything we do - All the good and everything in between is because of grace - Never forget that!

“Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me”

Many years ago after my father retired he took a part time job as a security guard at a college…At the time my brother was attending that college….I remember hearing my Dad telling us after dinner that my brother got a parking ticket on the campus and did not pay it and then gave the security officers a hard time, which in turn made my father look very bad at his job…When I heard this I was furious!…I can remember ranting and railing about what my brother did to my parents…..And as I was screaming in my family home, my father just listened to me and when I was done, this is what he said - “Joe, so you are right about all you just said about your brother - But soon you too will be wrong”….There is great wisdom in my father’s statement - He was telling me indirectly  - That I was not perfect and don’t think just because I was right now about what I saying about my brother’s faults does not mean, sooner then later, I too will do something wrong…..God the Father tells us a similar story today in the Gospel about the tax collector and the Pharisee in the temple….”For you are not pleased with sacrifices; should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn”……St Paul puts a finer point on it…..”Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing; if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love”……As practicing Catholics - Do we love in this manner?……Do we bear with one another’s faults?…..Most especially, do we love and bear wrongs patiently from “those people”,  as I like to say?…..As my father told me many years ago…..”So now you’re right now - But soon you too will be wrong!”

“Be bountiful, O LORD, to Zion in your kindness by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem; Then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices, burnt offerings and holocausts”

When we go to Mass as Catholics we hear the word of God read to us and many times the words of Jesus are very challenging - Today for me, this message was very challenging….When this happens - How do we respond - How do I respond?…..As Catholics, no matter who you are or how “good” you think you are - There will be moments when Jesus’s words convict us - When this happens - What is your response?….For me today, the Gospel of St Luke read at Mass convicted me…I must stop saying and thinking about all the faults of others and start thinkings more about my own faults - Because believe me, I have them - Ask my wife and children!….I must learn to bear patiently with the short comings of others as Jesus has to bear with all my short comings when I confess them Sacramentally…..This is how I will grow and in order to grow, I must be honest with myself - How about you?…..”For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted”…..Humility is truth and the reality is - We all fall short - But thanks be to God that Our Lord is merciful………….. Are we merciful?……….”The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you”………..“I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former”………JMJ