The American saying "we all have to put our trousers on one leg at a time" is almost a cliché but nevertheless it is full of truth. Despite the differences between people, all of humanity is equally in need of the mercy of God and the salvation found in the Cross. The two prayers in today's Gospel remind us of this important point. The prayer of the Pharisee, if we strip away for a moment its uncharitable tone, seems to be a reasonable prayer. He is not an extortionist, and gives thanks to God for this fact. He keeps justice, for which he again offers thanks. Nor is he an adulterer, nor a tax collector, the latter group being one known for fraud, deception and theft, especially of the poor and misfortunate. He keeps the fasts. He offers of his wealth in tithes to the temple. He seems in every way 'religious'.The mistake of the Pharisee is to declare himself "not like other men". He has said too much and unintentionally revealed a sad truth about himself. He has turned the elements of his religious life into objects. He has twisted prayer into a divisive act that rends men apart. However we must be careful not to judge the Pharisee.
We must not hear the words of the Gospel and inwardly cry, 'Thank God, that I do not pray as the Pharisee!' As with all of Our Lord's parables, we find that this story is our story. It is not only the tax collector and the Pharisee, two long distant and removed figures, who go to the temple to pray, but we ourselves who approach God's great mercy. It is we who stand and proclaim, whether in our moments of prayer or in the activities of our daily lives, that 'we are not like other men; we are just; we are not adulterers; we fast; we tithe; we are faithful'. And it is to us that the loving Lord Jesus proclaims: 'everyone who exalts himself will be humbled'.
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