Daily Gospel Reflection
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October 27, 2019
Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’
“But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
“I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Sometimes I think that the Pharisees take a lot of the blame that is meant for us in the Gospel. Jesus often uses them as an example of how easy it is to take our faith to extremes that blind us to our own problems and prevent us from loving each other as neighbors.
In this passage, the Pharisee is calling out his own strengths and rightfully thanking God for the gifts he’s been given, but in doing so he compares himself to others in the room with what is clearly pride and judgment.
Tax collectors, whom the Jews of the time knew from experience were often quick to steal and punish unjustly, made an easy target for the Pharisee’s judgment. How easy it is for me to fall into this way of thinking! I often judge others for their misdeeds, real or perceived, even if I’ve only heard about them second or third hand. Sometimes it is easier to see the sins and weaknesses of others rather than their strengths.
In doing so, we can also think of our own transgressions as less important than what others may be doing, and we can con ourselves into thinking our sins aren’t really that bad. We might think: “Do I really even need forgiveness?” Notice that the Pharisee in Jesus’ parable didn’t even talk to God about his own sins which, of course–like the rest of us–are always present.
The great humility of the tax collector shows us how we should approach God. His spontaneous prayer shows that he knows God’s presence. He cries out for mercy with full acknowledgment of his sins, trusting that God will forgive him.
As Catholics, we are blessed to have the sacrament of reconciliation available to us so that we can humbly follow this path to acknowledge our sins, asking God to forgive us through his mercy and grace. Hopefully, through that grace, we can, in turn, forgive others for their trespasses against us.
Prayer
God of mercy and compassion, you justify the humble and humble the self-exalted. Look upon us poor sinners with the gaze of your love. Grant us the wisdom to recognize our sins. Convict our hearts so that we make seek true contrition. Fill us with a burning zeal for conversion, and bestow on us the grace to seek your forgiveness. O God, be merciful to me a sinner! Amen.
Saint of the Day
When St. Frumentius visited the famous St. Athanasius to ask him to send priests and bishops to Ethiopia, Athanasius told him to go himself, and ordained him on the spot.
Frumentius was born in Tyre (what is now Lebanon) and was sent with a friend to live with a philosopher to receive an education. Around the year 330, their teacher decided to travel the known world, and he took the two boys with him.
When their ship wrecked near modern-day Ethiopia, the native people attacked the travelers—all but the two boys were killed, including their teacher. The boys were captured and taken to the king of the region.
The king was impressed with their learning and commanded them to serve his court. The two served the royal family for years, and when the king died they were granted their freedom. The queen asked them to remain to assist in the management of the kingdom until her sons were old enough to reign, and they both decided to stay.
When her sons came of age, Frumentius and his friend were faced with a decision to leave. His friend returned to Tyre, but Frumentius felt called to spread the faith through Ethiopia. He went to the bishop of Alexandria, Egypt, a center of power and learning in the Church, and asked the great St. Athanasius to send pastors. Athanasius immediately recognized that no one would be better suited to the job than Frumentius—he ordained the missionary and sent him instead.
Frumentius went back to Ethiopia and brought many to the faith by his preaching and miracles. Ten years after his return, Christianity was named the official state religion of the kingdom. Even the royal household was baptized—they are still honored as saints in the Ethiopian Church. Frumentius was known as “our father” and “father of peace.”
St. Matthew is said to have first evangelized Ethiopia, but Frumentius is known as the apostle to that nation because of his effectiveness in converting people to the faith. It is said that the early diocese of Louisiana observed the feast of St. Frumentius in the 1700s, possibly as an acknowledgment of the Africans enslaved there.
St. Frumentius, who survived shipwreck and evangelized a nation, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Frumentius is used with permission from Catholic Online. Last accessed October 4, 2024.