Sharing Guidelines
*Sharing is not a time for teaching or debate; it is a time to sense the marvelous work of the Holy Spirit who leads the gathering.
*Reflection sharing is not meant to teach others but to share the meaning you personally have discovered. Therefore, do not criticize or debate another person’s sharing. Avoid boasting of your own understanding or knowledge.
*Respect the grace of the Holy Spirit, who reveals the meaning of the Word while dwelling among us, and listen attentively to others’ sharing, holding it in your heart.
*Keep confidential any personal reflections or stories shared in the group; practicing brotherly love means not passing along private matters outside the meeting.
*When speaking, always use the first person singular (“I”). Be careful not to distance or generalize your story by using the third person (“he,” “they”) or the first person plural (“we”).
*Keep it short.
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 whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
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Today’s Reflection
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to those who trusted in their own righteousness and looked down on others.
The Pharisee and the tax collector were complete opposites in Jewish society. The Pharisees knew the Law better than anyone, created extra rules to follow it, and were respected as holy and upright people. The tax collectors, on the other hand, worked for the Roman Empire that ruled Israel. They were seen as traitors and sinners, hated by their own people.
In the story, both men go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee stands proudly, listing all the good things he does—fasting and giving tithes—while claiming he is not a sinner. The tax collector, however, cannot even lift his eyes to heaven. He simply beats his chest and prays, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Jesus says it was the tax collector, not the Pharisee, who went home made right with God. The Pharisee’s prayer is full of self-praise, not humility or true petition. The tax collector’s prayer is short but powerful because he admits his sin and trusts completely in God’s mercy.
When we pray, let us also come before God humbly, admitting our sins and asking for His mercy.
(이성근 사바 신부)
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