Trong bài Tin Mừng hôm này cho chúng ta thấy người biệt phái này là đại diện tượng trưng cho những người tự cho mình đạo đức, Họ tự tôn mình lên trên những người khác về mặt đạo đức và tinh thần vì họ là những người học luật, họ là những
người lãng đạo tôn giáo, họ hiểu rõ và giữ luật Môisen kỹ hơn ai hết . Phần chúng ta, đôi khi chúng ta có thể nhìn thấy chính mình trong những hình ảnh của những người biệt
phái, hay trong các
biểu tượng của những người biệt phái
Do thái này!
Những người đã tự cao, tự đại coi rẻ hay khinh thường
những người khác, nhất là những người thấp kém, nghèo hèn , bệnh tật…để rồi tự sống trong một cảm giác tự mãn tự hài lòng? Theo các nhà Tâm lý và Kinh Thánh cho chúng ta biết rằng khi chúng ta thất bại trong việc
phải đối phó với bóng tối tội lỗi và sự thiếu sót trong bản thân của chúng ta , Chúng ta thường hay đỗ lỗi của chúng ta vào những người hoặc các nhóm người khác mà không bao giờ chịu nhìn thấy được cái lỗi lầm và thiếu xót
nơi chính mình. Những
điều mà chúng ta ghét cay ghét đắng những người khác thường ẩn nấp ở các cấp độ
rất sâu hơn trong tấm hồn của chúng ta. Những điều mà chúng ta không thể chịu đựng được ở những người khác thường
có thể được tìm thấy trong chính mình. Khi chúng ta biết
điều này, thí đấy là điều hữu
ích mà chúng ta có
thể phát triển về sự hiểu biết vế chính mình. Câu
chuyện nói về người thu Thuế, như chúng ta biết họ là những đáng ghét nhất trong xứ Giu-đê vào thời điểm
đó, nhưng họ lại được Thiên Chúa thương xót và ngó mắt tới vì sự khiêm tốn, trung
thực của họ , và những sự đau khổ mà họ thực lòng cầu xin tới sự cởi mở và lòng thương xót của Thiên Chúa.
Có
lẽ chúng ta cũng có thể thực hành cầu
nguyện cho những người mà chúng ta không thể chịu đựng nổi, không thích và hãy tự kiểm tra ngay tự bên trong tâm hồn của chúng ta, vì nơi đó là nơi mà tự do và giác ngộ bắt đầu. Đừng làm giảm ngắn sự vinh quang của Thiên Chúa!
Lạy
Chúa, Xin giúp chúng con biết cách để kiểm tra những lỗi lầm riêng của
chúng con, chứ
không phải của những người khác
Sat 29th March 2014- 3rd week of
Lent
For the people of Israel, there was only one
legitimate response to what they believed to be God's punishment: repentance.
No excuses, no arrogance, no bargaining; just humble submission to God’s
actions and a plea for forgiveness. This is in sharp contrast to the modern
tendency to throw up a smokescreen of excuses and explanations in an effort to
evade responsibility.
In
this story the Pharisee stands for those of any religion, time, or place that
feel morally and spiritually superior to others. We can even see ourselves
sometimes in the symbol of the Pharisee! Who hasn’t looked down on someone
whose life is less than exemplary with a smug sense of self-satisfaction?
Psychologists — and the Bible — tell us that when we fail to deal with the
darkness, sin, and imperfections in ourselves we project them onto other people
or groups.
The
things that we detest in others often lurk in the deeper levels of our own
hearts. The things that we can’t stand in others can often be found in
ourselves. When we know this, it can be very helpful for growing in
self-knowledge. The tax-collector in the story, loathed and hated in Judea at
the time, was right in God’s eyes because of his humility, honesty, and
broken-hearted openness to God’s mercy.
Perhaps
we can practice praying for those whom we cannot stand and examining our own
inner self — that is where freedom and enlightenment begin. We have all fallen
short of the glory of God!
Lord, help me to
examine my own faults rather than those of others.
Saturday
of the Third Week of Lent
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…” Luke 18:9–10
Humility is a beautiful virtue. Even the most public sinner, like
a tax collector, shines brightly with God’s grace when his heart is purified by
humility. On the other hand, pride is an ugly vice. When pride is present in
someone’s life, the soul is incapable of reflecting God’s pure and beautiful
light.
Today’s parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, who both go
to the temple to pray, teaches us that true holiness comes from within. The
interior virtues of the soul allow God’s radiance to shine outwardly. When
humility and repentance fill a person’s heart, the soul reflects God’s grace.
We may all encounter people who seem to radiate God’s grace,
peace, and joy. Conversely, we may meet others who radiate judgment,
self-righteousness, and condemnation. While we must avoid judging others, we
cannot help but be inspired by the genuine humility of those whose lives are
marked by grace. For example, even if we forget the exact words of Saint Mother
Teresa’s many speeches, her radiant charity, fueled by humility, is
unforgettable.
The Pharisees were known for their meticulous observance of the
external requirements of the Law of Moses. However, their scrupulous adherence
to these laws often blinded them to the deeper virtues that God desires. They
became focused on appearances, missing the heart of the matter: humility and
love of God.
Praying
in the temple is a good and pious act. Both the Pharisee and the tax collector
did this. However, prayer that is distorted by self-righteousness, pride, and
arrogance cannot rise to God as true prayer. Only when prayer is guided by
humility and an awareness of our need for God’s mercy does it become a channel
of grace.
The tax collector was humble because he recognized his sinfulness
and his need for God’s mercy. He prayed, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
The Pharisee, blinded by pride, could not see his own need for God’s
forgiveness and instead praised himself for his external observances. The tax
collector’s humility opened him to divine wisdom, while the Pharisee’s pride
left him in spiritual blindness. Humility is wise; pride is foolish.
Reflect today on how you approach prayer. Are you wise in your
prayer? Do you, like the tax collector, acknowledge your need for God’s mercy?
Pray the tax collector’s prayer with sincerity and depth: “O God, be merciful
to me, a sinner.” If you find yourself thinking, “I’m not that bad of a
sinner,” then your prayer is more like that of the Pharisee. Don’t shy away
from the truth. Humbly confess your weaknesses and sins before God. He is
merciful. Acknowledge your complete dependence on His grace. Only then, like
the tax collector, will you go home justified before God.
Most merciful God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I need You. I need
Your forgiveness. By Your grace, help me to see my sins clearly, confess them,
and experience the joy of redemption. Fill me with humility, dear Lord, so that
I may know the truth of myself and, through Your wisdom, be set free. Jesus, I
trust in You.
Saturday
of the Third Week of Lent 2026
Opening
Prayer: Lord God, many times you point to the two divergent paths I can
take. There is a path of selfishness and pride that leads to death. And there
is a path of love and humility that leads to life. Teach me always to choose
the path that leads to life with you.
Encountering
the Word of God
1. The
Prayer of the Pharisee: In the Gospel, Jesus draws a contrast in the
Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector between two very different kinds of
prayer. The prayer of the Pharisee did not rise to God. In fact, the Pharisee
“spoke this prayer to himself.” He was self-absorbed and listed all the good
things he was doing. He tried to justify himself by comparing himself to the
rest of sinful humanity: “I’m not greedy like everybody else; I’m not dishonest
like everyone else; I haven’t committed adultery.” This prayer “to himself” and
this list of the sins he wasn’t committing did not bring about true
justification. There was no true humility, no true thanksgiving, no true
praise, no true contrition, and no true reconciliation. The Pharisee was blind to
his own sins and imperfections. He had a massive wooden beam in his own eye.
Jesus concludes the parable by foretelling a day when those who exalt
themselves – like the Pharisee – would be humbled. This means that Jesus does
not give up on the Pharisees, who are like the coin lost in the house of God.
As the divine physician, Jesus knows what medicine – that of humiliation – will
cure the Pharisee of his pride, narcissism, self-righteousness, and
self-absorption.
2.
The Prayer of the Tax Collector: By
contrast, the prayer of the tax collector is marked by humility. He did not
raise his eyes to heaven but did raise his heart and prayer to God. His prayer
was simple and did not multiply words unnecessarily. He recognized simply: “I
am a sinner.” He didn’t try to justify his sins or make excuses for them. He
didn’t blame his failings on others. He trusted in his heavenly Father and, as
a son, requested good things from his Father: “Be merciful to me.” The tax
collector didn’t make promises he could not keep. He didn’t compare himself to
others. Jesus tells us that the man returned home justified. His family likely
noticed the change. Maybe he was more patient and gentler in his speech. Maybe
he was more affectionate and loving towards his wife. Maybe he strove to be
more just and fair with his clients. In any case, by humbling himself before
God in prayer, he was transformed and justified by God’s merciful grace.
3.
The Theology of Justification: One
key word in today’s Gospel is that of “justification” or righteousness. The
Pharisee thought he was justified and righteous – he represents someone who is
convinced of their own righteousness. The tax collector, however, was the one
who went home from the Temple “justified,” or “in a right relationship with
God.” Luke traveled with Paul, and we hear echoes of Paul’s teaching on
justification in the Gospel of Luke. Paul teaches in the Letter to the Romans:
“a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Rom 3:28). This
teaching is found in Jesus’ parable. “Indeed, the Pharisee boasts about
practicing works of the law such as fasting and tithing, but Paul reminds us
that no one may boast before God (Rom 3:27; 1 Cor 1:29). The Pharisee
represents those who are confident that they are just or righteous (Luke 18:9)
or who justify themselves (10:29; 16:15) but, in reality, are ‘ignorant of the
righteousness that comes from God … seeking to establish their own’ (Rom 10:3
RSV)” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 305). The Law of Moses was
unable to justify; humble faith in Jesus, however, justifies us, forgives our
sins, and saves us (Luke 7:50; 8:48; 17:19; 18:42; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians
1:21; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 13:38).
Conversing
with Christ: Lord Jesus, I can only
offer the sacrifice of my life as an acceptable sacrifice to the Father. I
unite my sacrifice to yours, asking humbly that you transform my poor offering.
Teach me to pray as I should and know that I am righteousness only by your
grace and my collaboration with it.
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
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.” Luke 18:9–10
This Scripture passage introduces the Parable of the Pharisee and
the Tax Collector. They both go to the Temple to pray, but their prayers are
very different from each other. The prayer of the Pharisee is very dishonest,
whereas the prayer of the tax collector is exceptionally sincere and honest.
Jesus concludes by saying that the tax collector went home justified but not
the Pharisee. He states, “…for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and
the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
True humility is simply being honest. Too often in life we are not
honest with ourselves and, therefore, are not honest with God. Thus, for our
prayer to be true prayer, it must be honest and humble. And the humble truth
for all of our lives is best expressed by the prayer of the tax collector who
prayed, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”
How easy is it for you to admit your sin? When we understand the
mercy of God, this humility is much easier. God is not a God of harshness but
is a God of the utmost mercy. When we understand that God’s deepest desire is
to forgive us and to reconcile us to Himself, then we will deeply desire honest
humility before Him.
Lent is an important time for us to deeply examine our conscience
and make new resolutions for the future. Doing so will bring new freedom and
grace into our lives. So do not be afraid to honestly examine your conscience
so as to see your sin clearly in the way God sees it. Doing so will put you in
a position to pray this prayer of the tax collector: “O God, be merciful to me
a sinner.”
Reflect, today, upon your sin. What do you struggle with the most
right now? Are there sins from your past that you have never confessed? Are
there ongoing sins that you justify, ignore and are afraid to face? Take
courage and know that honest humility is the road to freedom and the only way
to experience justification before God.
My merciful Lord, I thank You for loving me with a perfect love. I
thank You for Your incredible depth of mercy. Help me to see all of my sin and
to turn to You with honesty and humility so that I can be freed of these
burdens and become justified in Your sight. Jesus, I trust in You.
Saturday 3rd
week of Lent 2025
Opening Prayer: Lord God, many times you point to the two
divergent paths I can take. There is a path of selfishness and pride that leads
to death. And there is a path of love and humility that leads to life. Teach me
always to choose the path that leads to life with you.
Encountering the Word of God
1. The Prayer of the Pharisee: In the Gospel, Jesus draws
a contrast in the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector between two very
different kinds of prayer. The prayer of the Pharisee did not rise to God. In
fact, the Pharisee “spoke this prayer to himself.” He was self-absorbed and
listed all the good things he was doing. He justified himself by comparing
himself to the rest of sinful humanity: I’m not greedy, I’m not dishonest, I
haven’t committed adultery. This prayer and list of the sins he was not
committing did not bring about true justification. There was no true humility,
no true thanksgiving, no true praise, no true contrition, and no true
reconciliation. The Pharisee was blind to his own sins and imperfections. He
had a massive wooden beam in his own eye. Jesus concludes the parable by
foretelling a day when those who exalt themselves – like the Pharisee – will be
humbled. This means that Jesus does not give up on the Pharisees, who are like
the coin lost in the house of God. As the divine physician, Jesus knows the
medicine – that of humiliation – that will cure the Pharisee of his pride,
narcissism, self-righteousness, and self-absorption.
2. The Prayer of the Tax Collector: By contrast, the
prayer of the tax collector is marked by humility. He did not raise his eyes to
heaven but did raise his heart and prayer to God. His prayer was simple and did
not multiply words unnecessarily. He recognized simply: “I am a sinner.” He
didn’t try to justify his sins or make excuses for them. He didn’t blame his
failings on others. He trusted in his heavenly Father and, as a son, requested
good things from his Father: “Be merciful to me.” The tax collector didn’t make
promises he could not keep. He didn’t compare himself to others. Jesus tells us
that the man returned home justified. His family likely noticed the change.
Maybe he was more patient and gentle in his speech. Maybe he was more
affectionate and loving towards his wife. Maybe he strove to be more just and
fair with his clients. In any case, by humbling himself before God in prayer,
he was transformed and justified by God’s merciful grace.
3. Let Us Return to the Lord: In the First Reading,
from the prophet Hosea, we are invited to return to the Lord. It is a call to
repentance. “Israel has been mauled to death by the judgments of God (Hosea
5:13) and is slain by the words of the prophet (Hosea 6:5). Hosea revealed what
was needed for national restoration: if Israel turns back to God in exile, the
repentant tribes will be resurrected to new life in God’s covenant, becoming
sons and daughters once again (Hosea 1:10). The language of the passage
presupposes an ancient belief in bodily resurrection” (Ignatius Catholic
Study Bible: Old and New Testament, 1492). The hope of Israel’s
resurrection to life on the third day anticipates Jesus’ Resurrection “on the
third day” (Matthew 16:21). Hosea teaches that God wills us to imitate him and
live love and mercy (Hebrew: hesed) more than offer him animal
sacrifices. According to the Semitic expression contrasting love and hate, God
is not rejecting sacrificial worship but is stressing what is more important.
“Life and liturgy are meant to form a unity, so that love for the
Lord is expressed by obedience as well as ritual offerings (CCC, 2100)” (Ignatius
Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testament, 1493).
Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I can only
offer the sacrifice of my life as an acceptable sacrifice to the Father. I
unite my sacrifice to yours, asking humbly that you transform my poor offering.
Teach me to pray as I should and know that I am righteousness only by your grace
and my collaboration with it.
Saturday of the Third Week of Lent
Opening Prayer: Heavenly Father, you desire mercy and not
sacrifice. Teach me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength,
and to love my neighbor as myself.
Encountering Christ:
1. Love God with All Your Heart, Soul,
Mind, and Strength: Christianity is not for the weak-willed. Loving the
Lord with heart, soul, and mind takes strength, fortitude, and perseverance. To
others, it may seem that spending time in daily prayer is simply frittering
away time that could be used more productively, but Christians know from
experience that giving the Lord the first fruits of the day is the very best
use of time. It’s calisthenics for the soul and requires a strong-willed,
loving heart.
2. Love Your Neighbor as Yourself: We
tend to be very self-aware, knowing what delights us, how we like to spend our
free time, and what consoles us. Do we know these things about our neighbor
(understood as family members, friends, and those who live nearby)? Fewer than
half of American adults know most or all of their neighbors (Pew Research
Center). As Christians, we are called to love our neighbor, and the first step
is to get to know their names. May we be builders of strong Christian
communities for the glory of God.
3. You Are Not Far from the Kingdom of
God: Imagine hearing these words from the mouth of Jesus. Could there be a
greater consolation on this side of heaven? The scribe in this Gospel knew the
commandments and came to Jesus with a sincere question. He also showed by his
spontaneous proclamation that he had been imbued with wisdom from the Holy
Spirit, as Jesus acknowledged when he “saw that he answered with
understanding.” We follow the scribe’s example when we strive to know our faith
and, in prayer, listen attentively to Jesus as he inspires us with word,
sacrament, and life circumstances to understand heavenly truths. Then we, too,
can be assured of wisdom and understanding as we are drawn more deeply into the
kingdom of God.
Conversing with Christ: Dearest Jesus, grant me the virtues of
fortitude and perseverance to strengthen my heart, mind, and soul. With this
strength, I will be able to concern myself with the needs and interests of my
neighbor so that I may sincerely love others.
