Saint Rita Catholic Church and School in Webster, NY - An Introduction to Sunday's Scripture Readings

“O Lord, Be Merciful To Me, A Sinner”

For the third Sunday in a row, our readings focus on prayer. Two Sundays ago, we focused on prayers of praise and thanksgiving. Last Sunday's readings focused on the need for trust and persistence in prayer. This Sunday, the focus is on coming to God with a humble and contrite heart. God listens especially to the poor, the oppressed and the humble sinner asking for mercy.

In our first reading (Sirach 35:12-14, 16-18), we hear that God is an equal opportunity giver of mercy. “Though not unduly partial toward the weak, yet He hears the cry of the oppressed.” God has particular concern for the lowly and sufferers of injustice. God is ever the just judge, attentive to those in need of His mercy and to those who “serve God willingly.”

In our Epistle reading (2 Timothy 4:6-8. 16-18), St. Paul continues his letter from prison to his protégé Timothy, as he contemplates his impending execution and martyrdom. At its heart, it is a prayer of praise and glory to God for allowing Paul the gift of his ministry to the Gentiles in total service to God. Even though his friends deserted him, his trust in God is what sustained him. Paul wrote, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil threat and will bring me safe to His heavenly kingdom.”

In our Gospel reading (Luke 18:9-14), Jesus addressed this parable to those whose pride and conceit blinded them to God’s mercy. He contrasted a boastful Pharisee with a humble and contrite tax collector whose shame and remorse was painfully evident. The Pharisee, it seems, was praying more to himself than to God and seemed to take all the credit for his life of good works. The Pharisee boasted of his station in life while despising everyone else. And yet the tax collector simply begged for mercy and forgiveness.

The Pharisee in today’s Gospel did everything right; he followed every prescribed law, but his pride overshadowed and negated his good works. Pride is the opposite of “poor in spirit”; it isolates us from God’s mercy. If we were to emulate one ethic in today's readings, it might be the tax collector's humility and true repentance for his sins, not judging others or feeling in any way better than others. Like the poor widow and orphan in today’s first reading, we can simply take our sorrow and our troubles and lay them at the foot of the cross.

And then go and do justice to others.

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102625.cfm