Sunday, October 26, 2025
Last week’s Gospel Reading about the judge and the widow encouraged reflection on the importance of perseverance in prayer. In today’s Reading of the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus teaches us how to approach the Lord in prayer and the proper attitude to have when we pray. The Pharisees were not priests; the Catholic Encyclopedia calls them “a politico-religious sect.” They were rooted in rigorous adherence to both the written Torah and oral traditions of the elders. They dutifully observed the Sabbath and dietary laws. Fasted twice a week, and gave a tenth of their income. Many were scribes and teachers leading the people and children of the synagogue in study and missionary activities. Indeed, these are devout acts and thoughts of piety that must please God! However, because the Pharisees occupied a prominent position in Jewish society, they could easily become arrogant because of their prestige. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes how their “prestige naturally engendered arrogance and conceit, leading to a perversion of the conservative ideals they once championed.”
Our relationship with God is not transactional. It is founded on love that is giving, not a ledger that tallies what we do and don’t do. Today’s Gospel and the Old Testament Readings teach us that God values the disposition of our hearts more than our outward display of piety. “Give to the Most High as he has given to you,” – Sirach 35:12, is recognizing that every gift we receive, our time, talents, and material goods, is a loan from God, to be stewarded for the benefit of those in need. The passage explicitly mentions the vulnerable: the orphan and the widow. Their suffering is practically a litmus test for our conscience. When we turn a blind eye, we are, in effect, turning away from God Himself. Sirach warns against offering God bribes, which He does not accept, highlighting that external acts of piety cannot compensate for an interior lack of humility. The Gospel parable crystallizes this moral lesson. The Pharisee, confident in his fasting and tithing, prays with a self‑congratulatory tone, while the tax‑collector, aware of his sinfulness, offers a brief, sincere plea: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” – Luke 18:13b. The outcome is unmistakable: the humble tax‑collector “went home justified.” St. Luke tells us that Jesus, “addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else.” And that “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” This teaching is not only to empty ourselves of pride but to fill our hearts with love for others. It encourages us to extend grace in the face of anger and to seek reconciliation where there is animosity.
The two Readings weave a vivid picture: authentic Christian living calls us to a generosity that mirrors God’s towards us. Our prayer acknowledges our dependence on divine mercy and a hope that looks beyond earthly accolades to the eternal reward promised by Christ. “The Lord asks us to love as he does, even our enemies, to make ourselves the neighbor of those farthest away, and to love children and the poor as Christ himself.” ‑ Catechism §1825.
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.