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Gospel Reading for March 29, 2025 – Luke 18: 9-14
USELESS
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.”
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We are very wrong if we think of God the way we think of Santa Claus, who makes a list and checks it twice, who’s gonna find out if we’re naughty or nice; who sees us when we’re sleeping; who knows when we’re awake; who knows if we’ve been bad or good, so we have to be good for goodness sake.” So, the list that the Pharisee made is USELESS to God. God can see through us. He sees what is in our hearts when we do things. The Pharisee did good things but he had the wrong intentions. He wanted to show he was righteous by comparing himself to someone considered a sinner. With God, there is NO COMPETITION. There is no hierarchy of good, better and best or of bad, worse or worst. All we are asked by him is to do things out of love, and when we fail, to be humble enough to ask for forgiveness so we too, may learn to forgive others who wrong us.
Lord Jesus, teach us to love by being humble like you, Mary and Joseph!
