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Dear Parish Faithful and Friends in Christ,
We heard the Gospel yesterday on the first of the four pre-lenten Sundays that will prepare us for Great Lent three weeks from today. This was, of course, the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. (LK. 18:10-14) In the homily I made the point that we can treat the parables of Christ in two very different ways: 1) listen to them carefully; reflect upon them through the course of the week; and determine what in the Lord’s parables “speak” to us today. Or: 2) we can take a “ho-hum” attitude which means we essentially forget the parable by the time we return home from the Liturgy; move on to the next distraction on our busy schedules which now include Sundays: and believe that the parable does not really apply to us anyway.
For those who actually “heard” the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee, the first question that may arise is very basic: Do I resemble the Publican or the Pharisee in my attitude toward God and my neighbor? Other questions follow: Am I also afflicted with self-righteous pride as was the Pharisee of the parable; or is my goal at least the slow and patient road of learning and practicing humility? Then there is a blunt but honest question: Do I even care? Somewhat unusual for the parables is that the intention of this parable is clearly stated before Christ actually delivers it: “He also told this parable to some who trusted themselves that they were righteous and despised others” (LK. 18:9). Is that a fair description of me when I enter the church on any given Sunday? If so, what could I possibly do to change such an attitude?
With the best of intentions, we could possibly turn this great opportunity for “self-examination” into the ho-hum approach of selective forgetfulness or remembrance; wherein we forget the parable, but remember the score of whatever game was on television later in the day or evening. That would be a colossal example of a missed opportunity. Perhaps one way to spare everyone from the ho-hum approach would be to provide the insights of others during the week – Church Fathers or contemporary writers – on this parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. This way, at least the material that lends itself to meditation will be present, and then we can choose to avail ourselves of it – or not.
A good beginning could be this passage from Blessed Augustine:
How useful and necessary a medicine is repentance! People who remember that they are only human will readily understand this. It is written: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” … The Pharisee was not rejoicing so much in his own clean bill of health as in comparing it with the diseases of others. He came to the doctor. It would have been more worthwhile to inform him by confession of the things that were wrong with himself instead of keeping his wounds secret and having the nerve to crow over the scars of others. It is not surprising that the tax collector went away cured, since he had not been ashamed of showing where he felt pain.
Fr. Steven
