Reflection for March 18, Saturday of the Third Week of Lent: Luke 18:9-14

Gospel: Luke 18:9-14

Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “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.’ 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.”

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Reflection:

Is humility the weakness of God? 

We see in the gospel the humility of the tax collector. He humbly admitted to God his own sinfulness. He was very much aware that before God he was nothing and deserves nothing. This was the reason why the tax collector went home possessing the favor of God. 

The secret therefore to gain the favor of God is humility and awareness of our own shortcomings and limitations. The tax collector who gained the favor of God was truly aware of his own sinfulness. He did not attempt to hide it from God, did he know that God knows everything about him? Perhaps he did not know, what he was sure of was his own sinfulness that’s why he humbly asked mercy from God.

It is a given fact that the humble has the eyes and ears of God. The humble doesn’t only gain the favor of God he also gains the respect of his fellowmen. Many of us do not want to be humble because we see it as weakness. But humility is not a weakness it’s actually a strength! For the simple reason that those who are humble are more respected than those who are not.  

However, to become humble before Jesus and our fellowmen is not easy. For the reason that this entails sacrifice and swallowing of our bloated egos. This entails awareness that we have nothing to be proud of before the presence of God. 

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton once said: “The gate of Heaven is very low; only the humble can enter it.” We therefore have to be humble if we want to gain entry to heaven. We therefore have to be humble if we want to gain the favor and guidance of God. And we therefore have to be humble if we want to gain the respect of our fellow men and women. – Marino J. Dasmarinas