O God, be merciful to me a sinner.

We are reminded by the words from Sirach that the Lord our God does hear the voices of all His people, but listens more particularly to those who are weak, oppressed, orphaned or widowed, or those who are poor. Sirach says the prayers of the lowly pierce the clouds and it does not rest till it reaches its goal, the ears of God. St. Paul pours himself out for the Lord in carrying on his ministry of bringing the Good News to all who would listen knowing that the Lord will watch over and protect him but, in the end, will reward Paul for his good works with the gif of life in heaven. The parable that Jesus shares with us in today’s Gospel passage is one that everyone should ponder. In coming before God in prayer, how would you most describe yourself, like the Pharisee or the tax collector? Obviously, the ones that humble themselves before God in ofering their prayer are the ones most exalted before God. The words of the tax collector in his prayer to God are words we all probably should pray over and over again, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

Blessings,
Fr. Fred