In this weekend’s reading from the Gospel of Luke (Lk 18:9-14), Jesus challenges us to know ourselves better and to know him better, too. This is a tale of two believers — the Pharisee and the publican. The Pharisee is a member of an ancient Jewish community that believes in a strict obedience to religious laws and customs. The Pharisees believe that they are a community set apart from the rest of society; that they are somehow more faithful and more holy because of their very public observance of faith traditions. They are part of the “in crowd” and part of the power structure. By contrast, the publican is a civil servant, an agent of the government who collects taxes and manages public buildings. At that time, as in our own time, being a tax collector is an unpopular and thankless job. All too often, the government authorities are angry that not enough taxes are being collected; and the people are equally angry that too many taxes are being collected. In some ways, not much has changed!

Regardless of their popularity or unpopularity, both the Pharisee and the publican share the same faith and both go to pray in the same temple, which is the social and spiritual center of Jewish life during the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. Upon entering the temple, the Pharisee proceeds to “his position.” One might liken this to his favorite pew in our own tradition. It may have been where he was accustomed to praying or it may have been a place that was assigned to him because of his rank and social status. The Pharisee begins to pray aloud so that other people can hear him. He declares: “O God, I thank youthat I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice each week, and I pay tithes on my whole income (Lk 18:11-12).”

Does the Pharisee pray in this way because the publican (aka the tax collector) mistakenly sits in his customary place? Is he seeking to send some sort of condescending message that the tax collector should pray elsewhere? Or does the Pharisee actually believe that he is better, purer, superior, more generous, and more holy than the publican? What does he truly believe about himself? What is in his heart? The Gospel does not tell us, but it surely implies that the Pharisee is oblivious to his arrogance and conceit. For what it’s worth, based on my own life experience, my guess is that it is a bit of both. The Pharisee is being rude and snobbish; and he believes that he is entitled to be so. Can you imagine being so angry and upset because some stranger is sitting in your favorite pew?!

Meanwhile, the publican finds another place to pray. He does not pray with flourishes and pious words. He simply bows his head, beats his breast, and begs for forgiveness. He silently prays: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner (Lk 18:13)!” Over the centuries, this short prayer (slightly modified) becomes the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Christian disciples who make this powerful prayer part oftheir spirituality learn that it can change their lives because it speaks to their heart and contains the basic truths of the entire gospel: Jesus is the Chosen One, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. He has the power to forgive any sin and love every sinner. And lastly, all of us, no matter our station or status, are broken and need God’s mercy. This week, let us remember the Pharisee and the tax collector. Let us look deeply into our hearts and discover who we are, what we have in common, and what we need. Let uspray for God’s love and mercy. And as always, let us pray for each other.

Reverend James M. Achadinha, Pastor
Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport
Contact: frjim@ccgronline.com

CCGR Weekly Newsletter (10-27-19) 
Bringing Home the Word (10-27-19) 
Watch: The Pope Video (October 2019)

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Respect Life Month
A Prayer for Life

By Father Michael Pavlakovich