Thirtieth Sunday In Ordinary time

This Sunday, Jesus gives a parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. This parable offers a striking contrast between two general attitudes. First, the Pharisee’s attitude reveals that he is very impressed with himself, thinks highly of his public image, and is unaware of his own sin. Second, the Tax Collector’s attitude shows that he is deeply aware of his own sin, is sorry for it, and knows he is in need of God’s mercy. The result of these two very different attitudes is that the Tax Collector went home justified, whereas the Pharisee did not.
What does it mean to be justified? It means that the Tax Collector had a clear conscience and was grounded in the truth. He knew his need for mercy, begged for it, and received it. He did not lie to himself, to others, or to God. He knew who he was, and it was this truth that allowed God to exalt him. The Tax Collector’s justification came through the forgiveness of his sins and the bestowal of God’s mercy in his life.
The Pharisee may have felt good about himself to a certain extent, as he elevated himself for all to see. He was convinced of his own self-righteousness, but in truth, he was not righteous—he was only self-righteous. He was living a lie and most likely believed that lie. He may have even convinced others of that lie. The fact remains: the Pharisee was not righteous, and he was not truly justified.
So, what we must take from this passage is a profound realization of the importance of living in the truth. Those who paint a false image of themselves may fool themselves and may even fool others, but they will never fool God, and they will never be able to achieve true peace in their souls. Each of us must realize the humble truth of our sin and weakness and, in that realization, beg for the only remedy—which is the mercy of God.
Therefore, our reflection is this: Is our attitude like the Pharisee’s or the Tax Collector’s right now? What should we do to be truly righteous in our daily lives?
Let us make the Tax Collector’s prayer—”O God, be merciful to me, a sinner”—part of our daily prayer.

Fr. Aegidius Warsito (SCJ)