"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.'  (Jesus added) 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."  Luke 18:10-14

Isn't it remarkable how relevant the parables of Jesus from approximately 2,000 years ago are to us today.

The above parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in the temple really hits me.  I like to think that I'm like the tax collector but to be honest, unfortunately I often catch myself---my thought process----to be too much like the Pharisee's.  Too often I come to church self-satisfied rather than contrite!  Too often I catch myself judging others, forgetting my own failures!  Too often I think of God as being a God of Rules rather than a God of Love!  I forget that God really wants mercy not sacrifice and I pat myself on my back for the little I do.  I forget that what God wants from me is a relationship with Him.  I forget that when I pray the "Our Father", I ask God to forgive my trespasses as I forgive others and as written in Matthew18:35 that I must forgive from my heart!

Being that in the Latin Rite the Lenten Season is half over, now is a good time for me to reflect on my own repentance, my outreaching of friendship and forgiveness to others and my relationship with God.  Hopefully through the grace of God, someday in the future I'll be able to honestly state that I am closer to being the tax collector than the Pharisee in the parable.