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Today’s readings
invite us to look deeply at the heart of prayer — not the words we say, but the
attitude with which we stand before God.
Sirach speaks of a
God who hears the cry of the poor. Saint Paul testifies to the faithfulness of
God even when others abandon him. And Jesus, in the parable of the Pharisee and
the tax collector, shows us whose prayer truly reaches heaven.
At first glance,
these readings seem to come from very different worlds — the temple of
Jerusalem, a Roman prison cell, and the dusty road where Jesus told stories.
Yet, they converge on one profound truth: God listens to the humble heart.
1. God Does Not Play Favorites
Sirach reminds us:
“The Lord is a God of justice, who knows no favorites.” The cry of the
poor, the orphan, and the widow pierces the clouds. In a world where voices are
often silenced by wealth, power, or pride, God’s ear is tuned to those who are
overlooked.
This means our
worth before God is not based on status, eloquence, or religious reputation.
God is not impressed by appearances or credentials. What moves the heart of God
is sincerity — the prayer that rises from honesty, from need, from love.
We might ask
ourselves: when I pray, do I come before God as someone who thinks they deserve
to be heard, or as someone who trusts in mercy? The answer changes
everything.
2. Faithfulness in the Race
Saint Paul,
writing near the end of his life, says: “I have fought the good fight, I
have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” These are not the words of
a man boasting in his achievements — they are the quiet confidence of someone
who knows the Lord has been faithful to him.
Paul admits that
at his first trial, “no one stood by me.” He was abandoned and betrayed,
yet he says, “The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.” This is
humility in action — not self-pity, but surrender; not pride, but gratitude.
Like the tax
collector in the Gospel, Paul knew his strength came not from himself, but from
grace. He had learned that every crown of glory is first shaped by the cross of
endurance.
3. The Prayer That God Hears
In Jesus’ parable,
two men go to the Temple to pray: one, a Pharisee — righteous, religious,
respected; the other, a tax collector — despised, sinful, broken.
The Pharisee’s
prayer is filled with “I”: “I thank you, I fast, I tithe.” It sounds
like prayer, but it is really a self-congratulation. He does not pray to
God; he prays about himself with an abundance of pride.
The tax collector,
on the other hand, stands far off, cannot even lift his eyes, and whispers: “O
God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” Just seven words — but those seven words
open heaven. He prays in total humility. Jesus says that man went home
justified, not the other.
Why? Because
humility draws mercy. The Pharisee offered God his virtues; the tax collector
offered God his need. And God prefers the second gift.
In our own lives,
we can be tempted to measure our holiness by comparison — like the Pharisee who
looked down on others. But God is not interested in comparison; He is
interested in conversion.
When we come
before the Lord — whether at Mass, in the confessional, or in quiet prayer —
the most powerful words we can say are often the simplest: “Lord, have mercy
on me, a sinner.” This prayer makes room for God to be God — the God who
saves, heals, and transforms.
As Pope Francis
often reminded us, “The Lord never tires of forgiving us; it is we who tire of
seeking His mercy.”
The readings today
remind us that the prayer that reaches heaven is the prayer of the humble
heart.
Like Sirach’s poor
man, let us cry out with trust.
Like Paul, let us finish our race with faith.
Like the tax collector, let us stand before God in truth and in humility.
And when we do, we
will find that the Lord — who shows no favorites — will lift us up, forgive us,
and fill us with His peace.
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