SATURDAY 21 MARCH 2020
Luke 18, 9-14:
“The Pharisee, standing upright, prayed thus from within: O God, I thank thee, for I am not as others are: thieves, unjust, adulterers; nor as that publican… The publican, on the other hand, only beat his breast, saying: “O God, have mercy on me, a sinner”.
We all carry within us a dose of Pharisee and another dose of publican.
What I carry within me as a Pharisee leads me to believe myself superior to others, it leads me to pride, to contempt for others, to think that I can save myself by my own strength and with the merit of my own works.
Our feeling as a publican leads me to humility, to recognize myself as a sinner and not to trust in my own strength.
The Pharisaic attitude will always be wrong and the publican’s attitude will not always be right.
It is good to recognize what we are, but at the same time to recognize that we are children of God and that we are very much appreciated and loved by Him.
Our very weakness must launch us into joy and optimism.
I am a child of God and my Father loves me and also loves my weakness with infinite mercy.
And also with infinite mercy he forgives my sin.
Good day.
Antonio Maria Sanjuan Marin, cmf
