Daily Gospel Reflection
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March 18, 2023
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.”
Years ago, I had the privilege of attending Mass as part of my workday. The short liturgy was a balm during an otherwise-stressful season, and I treasured the moments of peace provided by the midday rite.
That peace was interrupted one day when a colleague approached me following Mass to challenge the manner in which I received the Eucharist. I was aghast, feeling simultaneously humiliated and offended by his unsolicited comments.
The next time I attended Mass with him, I found myself distracted by our previous exchange. “What a pharisee he is!” I seethed in my mind. “Talk about someone convinced of their own righteousness!” Instead of focusing on the miracle of the liturgy before me, I ruminated on all the reasons he had been out of line. “Thank God I’m not a rude, judgmental, misguided person like he is!”
Oh, dear. Now, who sounded like a self-righteous pharisee?
I’ve heard it said that when we point a finger at someone else, three other fingers are pointing right back at us. None of us wants to be the pharisee in this gospel, yet our intrinsic vulnerability to pride often betrays us. Jesus knows. He understands. He loves us anyway.
Some days, I struggle like the tax collector, giving in to temptations of greed and intemperance. Other days, I struggle like the pharisee, judging and even despising those whom I deem unrighteous. In both circumstances, there is only one appropriate response: To raise my eyes to heaven and pray, “O God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
Prayer
Thank you for your gift of this season of Lent, Lord, and for the gentle challenges to personal growth that come through your Son’s word. Grant us the grace to continue loving you and our neighbors so that we may experience the fullness of Easter joy. Amen.
Saint of the Day
The Romans tried to kill St. Alexander of Jerusalem by throwing him to the lions, but it didn’t work. The beasts would not attack him!
Alexander began as a student in the famous ancient school in Alexandria. He was chosen bishop of his home city, Cappadocia. When Christians were being persecuted there, he was arrested and proclaimed his faith in Jesus, even under threat of punishment. Though he was not killed, he spent several years imprisoned and in chains.
When he was released from prison, he made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When he was there, the people of Jerusalem were moved to adopt him as their own bishop, a role he adopted in the year 212. There he developed a valuable and extensive library of theological works, which was helpful to the community and to other ancient theologians who contributed to the Church’s thinking.
During a second, later persecution, he was again arrested. This time, when he professed his faith, he was condemned to die. He was thrown to the lions, but they could not be encouraged to attack him. Instead, he was thrown back into prison, where he died in the year 251. The Church recognizes him as a martyr.
Despite his vast education and the important offices he held in the Church, Alexander was a gentle and mild man, and he was known for the sweetness of his preaching. His relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica.
St. Alexander of Jerusalem, the martyr who wouldn’t be touched by lions, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Alexander of Jerusalem is in the public domain. Last accessed November 1, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
