April 16, 2015
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
A reading from the Gospel of Saint Luke 18, 9 – 14:
Jesus then 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.’ “
We had a beautiful sunny day on Wednesday with the result that a good amount of snow melted. There are plenty of bare sports in the fields this evening. There is not much snow left in front of my house and there is plenty of water going down the drains. I hope in another week or so the snow will be all gone.
Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
“I call you all to be people of prayer especially you My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters who have great faith in Me. I gave a parable to the Jews one day about the way a Pharisee prayed and how a tax collector prayed. The Pharisee of course went right up in front and stood straight and showed God he was a holy person. He told God that he was happy that he was not like the rest of humanity, for the rest were greedy, dishonest, adulterous or like this tax collector. Now the tax collector stayed back and bend his head and struck his breast and prayed this prayer:
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ As I said in the reading, the tax collector went home justified but not the Pharisee. So I tell you all that when you come to prayer be humbled, don’t think that you are better than the others because if you do, you will be humbled like the Pharisee. Be like the tax collector and know that you are a sinner and you need mercy from the Father. I bless you all.”
Father Melvin