This weekend we hear the Gospel of the Pharisee and the tax collector who both came into the temple to pray. The Pharisee spoke this prayer to himself: “Thank you God that I am not a sinner like everyone else - even like this tax collector.” He seemed to show no attachment toward God. His only attachment was to his own exalted image of himself. The tax collector, on the other hand, came to God for forgiveness and he received it. The key word here is “justified”, which could also be translated “was made righteous.” The tax collector went home justified; the other did not. The Pharisee’s righteousness was of his own making; he didn’t feel the need to ask God for anything. The tax collector’s righteousness came as the answer to a prayer: God, be merciful to me a sinner.” It reminds us that holiness is God’s gift to those who are open to His grace. To give a more modern example of this, Archbishop Basil Hume, the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, spoke to a friend shortly before his death in 1999. He said, “If only I could start all over again, I would be a much better bishop. But then I thought how much better if I can come before God when I die --- not to say thank you that I was such a good religious, a much better abbot, a much better bishop, but rather, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ For, if I come empty-handed, then I will be ready to receive God’s gift.” Not long after that the Cardinal died and the Gospel of the Pharisee and the tax-collector was read at his Mass. He knew how to bow low before God who blesses all those who come to him. It is apparent that we do not foster humility in our world today. We need to look deep into our own hearts and realize how self-centered, pompous, judgmental and ungrateful we can be in our lives. Maybe then we would do more than say thank you God that I’m better than everyone else. We would recognize that we are like everyone else, in need of God’s saving love and grace for only Jesus is our Savior.       ~ Fr. John