Praying is known to be an activity essentially directed to… God. It seems obvious that when someone comes to God in prayer, praises, thanks, blessings, will be addressed to him.
It could be said that prayer is simply acknowledging who God is and… who we are.
Amazingly, the gospel text of this Sunday (30th, Year C – Lk.18:9-14) presents us with someone who had not understood this most basic lesson about prayer.
He is surely as convinced of the fact that he is praying as he is of being… the most deserving of God’s worshippers.
Jesus’ story is well known to us under the familiar title of: The parable of the Pharisee and the publican.
We know it well in its most colourful details, we even enjoy the caricatured description of the two personages.
The first one, a Pharisee, well respected in the Jewish community, comes before God to list – as if God had failed to notice – his many worthy actions that should win him God’s blessings. He does not fail to mention also how he carefully avoids any transgression of the Law.
Worse is to come. At this point in his prayer, the Pharisee starts looking down at the other man behind whom he despises for his last of respect for the Law. That publican has been judged and found wanting in the mind of the observant Pharisee.
The traditional roles of each of the two men are painted accurately. So far, Jesus’ listeners must follow him without difficulty while perhaps wondering where he is going with that story. It soon becomes very clear when Jesus concludes and says about the publican: “This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not.”
The Pharisee full of himself and boastful of all his qualities has not recognised God’s love and mercy who have brought him where he is. He thought he already had all he needed to have.
We may sometimes fail to understand that whatever we are and whatever we have managed to become is pure gift from God. We may be oblivious to all that we still need to be given so as to please God.
The publican stood before God – bowed before him – ready to be given, happy to receive God’s forgiveness and all the other gifts that God is eager to give to people like him.
For the Psalm assures us (Ps.34:18): “The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, he helps those whose spirit is crushed.” Happy are we if we remember this whenever we approach God in prayer…