March 26, Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
Readings: Hosea 6:1-6 & Gospel: Luke 18:9-14
In the Gospel reading, Luke gives us a hint: despising one's neighbor closes the door to God's heart. Showing disdain and contempt for others is more than being mean-minded. It comes from the assumption that one is qualified to sit in the seat of judgment and to publicly shame those who do not follow our standards and religious practices. Jesus' story confronted the religious-minded Pharisees who regarded "tax collectors" as unworthy of God's grace and favor.
Jesus' parable speaks about the nature of prayer and our relationship with God. It compares two very different attitudes towards prayer. The Pharisees, who represented those who were proud of their religious practices, prided themselves on it at the expense of others.
Pharisees were overwhelmed with their sense of self-satisfaction and self-congratulation. Their boastful prayer centered on blindly mandated religious practices rather than God's goodness, grace, and pardon. Rather than humbling themselves before God and asking for God's mercy and help, they honored and praised themselves while despising those he thought less worthy.
The Pharisee, who often opposed Jesus and humiliated others, tried to justify himself before God and those he despised. But only God can justify us (James 4:12). The tax collector, who represented those despised by religious-minded people, humbled himself before God and begged for mercy. God heard his prayer because he had genuine sorrow for his sins. He sought God with humility rather than with pride.
From this parable, we can get both an opportunity and a warning. God dwells with the humble heart who acknowledge their sinfulness and recognize God's mercy and saving grace. True humility helps us see ourselves as we are in God's eyes, and it inclines us to seek God's help and understanding. Pride leads to self-deception and spiritual blindness.
"Humility is the mother of all virtues." It is very significant for our Christian life.
Come before God with humility and experience his mercy.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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