First Reading • Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18
Psalm • Psalm 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
Second Reading • 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Gospel • Luke 18:9-14
Today’s Gospel gives us a parable that turns expectations upside down. Two men go up to the Temple to pray. One is a Pharisee; respected, religious, disciplined. The other is a tax collector; despised, considered a sinner and traitor. By appearances, the Pharisee should be the one close to God. But Jesus surprises us.
The Pharisee begins well. He thanks God. Gratitude is always the right starting point. But only a few words later, his prayer takes a dangerous turn.
Instead of keeping his gaze on God, he begins comparing himself to others. Especially to the tax collector.
“O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of men; greedy, dishonest, adulterous; or even like this tax collector.”
His gratitude shifts into arrogance. His thanksgiving becomes self-congratulation. He looks at his neighbor with contempt and says, “Thank you, God, that I am not like this sinner.” His prayer is no longer about God’s mercy, but about his own goodness. He imagines a God who pats him on the back, a God who applauds him for being better than most.
But here’s the tragedy: despite his prayers, fasting, and generosity, he leaves the Temple unjustified.
Why? Because he doesn’t see his need for mercy. His pride blinds him to his weakness.
Now look at the tax collector. He stands at a distance, not daring even to raise his eyes to heaven.
“God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
No excuses, no comparisons, no boasting. Just honesty and humility. And Jesus tells us that this man; despised by society; goes home justified. He leaves forgiven, because he placed his trust, not in himself, but in God’s mercy.
This parable is not just about two men long ago. It is meant to be a mirror for us. Most of us here try to live good and faithful lives. We come to Mass, we follow Church teaching, we give of our time and resources. These are good things. They matter. But the question is: what is going on in our hearts?
Are we, like the Pharisee, always comparing ourselves to others? Saying, “At least I don’t live like him… at least I’m better than her”? That’s what the Pharisee did. He measured himself against his neighbor instead of standing honestly before God.
The tax collector, on the other hand, didn’t look around. He looked into the mirror of his own heart and prayed: “I need mercy.” And because of that humility, God lifted him up.
Are we becoming more compassionate, or more judgmental? Do we rely on God’s mercy, or do we quietly rely on our own good habits? The truth is: if being nice and following the rules were enough, Jesus would not have needed the cross. The cross is proof that every one of us is a sinner who cannot save ourselves. Salvation is a pure gift of grace.
Even the faith we live and the good we do are gifts from God.
This is why Jesus warns against self-righteousness. The problem isn’t just arrogance; it is blindness.
The Pharisee couldn’t repent because he didn’t think he needed forgiveness. And because he didn’t repent, he couldn’t receive mercy.
That’s the danger for us too. When we compare ourselves to others, when we measure our worth by being “better than them,” we shut ourselves off from God’s grace. We miss the whole point.
Every Sunday, when we come together for Mass, we start by remembering our sins. Before entering into God’s presence, we acknowledge that He is holy, and we are not. On our own, we’re unworthy to stand before Him.
But He is merciful, quick to forgive, always ready to draw close when we call. That’s why we begin by praying: “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.”
That prayer sets the tone. We’re not here to pat ourselves on the back for all the good things we’ve done. We’re here to worship the God who saves us.
And when we leave, we’re sent out to show the same mercy to others.
At its heart, this parable teaches us that God justifies the humble, not the proud. The Pharisee shows how pride can twist even good practices into obstacles. The tax collector shows that humility opens the way to forgiveness.
So let us put away the measuring stick. Let us look honestly in the mirror before God. And with the tax collector let us pray: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
And if we pray that with sincerity, we too will go home justified.
So, let us pray for humble hearts; hearts that do not compare or condemn, but that confess and trust in God’s mercy. And with that mercy in us, may we become merciful to others.
