Reading 1 Hos 6:1-6
"Come, let us return to the LORD,
it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;
he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.
He will revive us after two days;
on the third day he will raise us up,
to live in his presence.
Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD;
as certain as the dawn is his coming,
and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!
He will come to us like the rain,
like spring rain that waters the earth."
What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that early passes away.
For this reason I smote them through the prophets,
I slew them by the words of my mouth;
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab
R. (see Hosea 6:6) It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
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.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
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.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
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.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Gospel Lk 18:9-14
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 everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Reflections:
What kind of prayer is pleasing to God? The prophet
Hosea, who spoke in God's name, said: "I desire steadfast love and not
sacrifice" (Hosea 6:6). The prayers and sacrifices we make to God mean
nothing to him if they do not spring from a heart of love for God and for
one's neighbor. How can we expect God to hear our prayers if we do not
approach him with humility and a contrite heart? We stand in constant need
of his grace and mercy. That is why the Apostle James tells us that "God
opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6; Proverbs
3:34).
Jesus reinforced this warning with a vivid story of two men at prayer.
Why did the Lord accept one person’s prayer and reject the other’s prayer?
Luke gives us a hint: despising one’s neighbor closes the door to God’s
heart. Contempt is more than being mean-minded. It springs from the
assumption that one is qualified to sit in the seat of judgment and to
ascertain who is good and just. Jesus' story caused offense for those
who regarded "tax collectors" as unworthy of God's grace and favor. How
could Jesus put down a "religious leader" and raise up a "public sinner"?
Jesus' parable speaks about the nature of prayer and our relationship with
God. It does this by contrasting two very different attitudes towards
prayer. The Pharisee, who represented those who take pride in their religious
practices, exalted himself at the expense of others. Absorbed with his
own sense of self-satisfaction and self-congratulation his prayer was centered
on himself rather than on God. Rather than praising God and asking God
for his mercy and help, this man praised himself while despising those
he thought less worthy than himself. The Pharisee tried to justify himself
before God and before those he despised; but only God can justify us. The
tax collector, who represented those despised by religious-minded people,
humbled himself before God and begged for mercy. His prayer was heard
by God because he had true sorrow for his sins. He sought God with humility
rather than with pride.
This parable presents both an opportunity and a warning. Pride leads
to illusion and self-deception. Humility helps us to see ourselves as we
really are and it inclines us to God's grace and mercy. God dwells with
the humble of heart who recognize their own sinfulness and who acknowledge
God's mercy and saving grace. I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit (Isaiah 57:15).
God cannot hear us if we despise others. Do you humbly seek God's mercy
and do you show mercy to others, especially those you find difficult to
love and to forgive?
"Lord Jesus, may your love control my thoughts and actions that I may
do what is pleasing to you. Show me where I lack charity, mercy, and forgiveness
toward my neighbor. And help me to be generous in giving to others
what you have so generously given to me."
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